


A Galaxy at War

by Rosebud1773



Series: Welcome to the Snark Side: A Shakarian Trip [5]
Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Character Death, Epic Battles, Epic Friendship, Epic Love, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Interspecies Relationship(s), Interspecies Romance, Interspecies Sex, Major Character Injury, Minor Character Death, Near Death, Near Death Experiences, Space Battles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:40:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 103
Words: 224,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25727563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rosebud1773/pseuds/Rosebud1773
Summary: It's been a long road and the outcome is still unclear. We've learned to rely on each other as, colleagues, allies... friends. The Reapers mean to take that from us. They've taken our homes and our sense of security. They plan to take our lives... Everything we are, or ever will be... wiped away in the name of 'order'. It's time we took the fight to them. We push back... and we take back our future. I'll lead us to victory... or die trying.-Commander Shepard, Alliance Navy, Spectre
Relationships: Female Shepard/Garrus Vakarian, James Vega/Original Female Turian Character(s)
Series: Welcome to the Snark Side: A Shakarian Trip [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1595116
Comments: 1313
Kudos: 158





	1. Rannoch

**Author's Note:**

> All the characters appearing in the Mass Effect Trilogy and Mass Effect: Andromeda are copyright BioWare/EA Studios. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder. All original characters are the property of Rosebud1773.

Garrus rammed his shoulder into the hatch as he felt the vehicle lurch away from his bondmate. He heard her orders and refused to acknowledge them. Nana was stronger than she looked as she held him back from tearing that hatch completely off its hinges.

“ _Dammit! Let me out! I should be out there!_ ” he raged at the asari and the idiot machine in the pilot's seat.

“ _I will not!_ You heard the commander!” Nana snarled at him as she held the harness he had released tightly around him.

“That's my _bondmate_ out there!” he raged, the keen beginning to build and resonate through his sub-harmonics.

“I know...” Nana said quietly.

“We will stop the transport at a safer distance, Garrus Vakarian.” Legion stated quickly. “I... will not abandon Shepard-Commander to such a fate.”

Garrus stilled at that and blinked at the machine. A frown came over his face, pinning his mandibles to his jaw. “Did... you just say... 'I'?”

“We are.... merging...” Legion stated, head swiveling to look back at them as the transport rolled to a stop.

#

The targeting laser beeped at the last possible moment. Shepard had ducked her head to the side, eyes squeezed shut and waited for the inevitable. The blast, when it came, was from space. The entire fleet fired on the Reaper. It threw her back against the cliff face behind her and knocked the wind from her.

The Reaper went down and did not rise again under the barrage. As the dust began to settled, she coughed and dragged herself back up painfully to her feet. She limped toward the edge of the crater the Reaper lay in. The 'eye' rolled toward her and she stood her ground.

“Shepard.” the voice was thunderous, deep and resonating through the ground.

“You know who I am?” she asked. Part of her mind was spinning in circles at speaking to yet another of these things.

“Harbinger speaks of you. You resist. But you will fail.” the dying Reaper thundered. “The cycle must continue.”

“What are you talking about?” Shepard demanded. She crossed her arms and tilted her head to the side, confident in the knowledge that she had already stopped one Reaper. “We stopped Sovereign and the geth. We stopped Harbinger and the Collectors... and now we've stopped... _you_. We've _earned_ a straight answer.”

“It is not a thing you can comprehend.” the Reaper stated cryptically.

“Try me! We might surprise you!” Shepard snapped as she stepped to the very edge of that crater.

“You represent chaos. We represent order. Every organic civilization... _must_ be harvested to bring order to the chaos. It is inevitable. Without our intervention, organics are doomed. We are your salvation.”

Shepard shook her head at that, arms still crossed. “You're killing everyone in the galaxy... to save us? Are you _fucking_ _insane?_ ”

“The cycle must continue. There is no alternative.” the Reaper continued its protests.

Shepard noticed Tali and the rest of her team stopping on the part of the crater that jutted out beside her. She caught the turian's eye as he took his helmet off, and nodded to him. There was worry pinned all across his face.

Turning her attention back to the Reaper, she waved a hand in frustration. “Organics and synthetics _don't_ have to destroy each other!”

“The battle... for Rannoch... disproves... your assertion.” the Reaper taunted her even as it became clear it was losing cohesion. “Finish your war. _We..._ will be waiting.”

Shepard glared at the pile of scrap as the 'eye' went dark. She heard light footsteps coming up behind her. Glancing back, she saw Tali's shocked face behind her mask.

“We did it. We _killed_ a Reaper. _Keelah.._.” the quarian said as she came to a stop beside the commander.

Legion opened his omni-tool as she turned to glance at the others behind her. “We can confirm that the geth are no longer being directed by the Old Machines. We are free.”

“You did it, Shepard! The geth fleet has stopped firing. They're _completely_ vulnerable!” came Gerrel's excited voice over the comm.

“Shepard-Commander, the geth only acted in defense after the creators attacked. Do _we_ deserve death?” Legion asked abruptly as he closed his omni-tool.

Shepard let out a slow breath as the question floored her. Again, an entire race was in her hands. _No, two... god, why does this have to land on my shoulders?_ She did not have an answer to that. The answer to his question would not be an easy one either, she realized.

“What are you suggesting?” she asked cautiously.

“Our upgrades. With the Old Machine dead, we could upload them to all geth without sacrificing their independence.” Legion stated as he walked to the edge of the crater and looked down at the dead Reaper.

“You want to upload the Reaper code?” Tali gasped in shock.

“Wouldn't that make the geth as smart as the Reapers?” Garrus asked, his voice sounding rougher than normal.

“Yes. But with free will. Each geth unit would be a true intelligence. We would be alive, and we could help you.” Legion paced back a few feet from the edge, meeting their gaze.

“Our fleet is already attacking! _Uploading the code would destroy us!_ ” Tali's voice rose in pitch as she stepped in front of Shepard. “Shepard! You can't choose the geth over my people!”

“Do you remember the question that caused the creators to attack us, Tali'Zorah?” Legion asked, head down. He turned to lock his optical sensors on her. “Does this unit... have a soul?”

Shepard stared at the geth before her. She could not say he did not have a soul, nor could she say for sure that he did. Did she? Did any of them? She liked to believe they did, just as she wanted to believe this geth before her might have one as well. The realization hit her then, she wanted to give Legion the chance to discover that answer for himself.

With a sigh of resignation, she nodded. Her voice was quiet, yet firm. “Upload the code to the geth. Tali, call off the fleet if you can.”

“Shepard... are you sure this is a good idea?” Garrus stepped in a little closer.

“I don't know... doesn't he deserve a chance...?” she asked and waved a hand at the geth who stepped back to the edge of the cliff.

Shepard watched Legion bring up that digital ball he had worked with in the consensus. He spun it around a couple of times, his optical flaps twitching. “Uploading. Ten percent.”

“This is Admiral Tali'Zorah. All units, break off your attack! I repeat, break off your attack!”

“Belay that order! Continue the attack!” Gerrel overrode her order with one of his own. It was clear the man had a thirst for conflict at this point.

“Twenty percent.” Legion stated, still spinning the sphere this way and that.

“ _I beg you_... do _not_ do this...” Tali's voice sounded defeated, half filled with unshed tears. “ _Please._.”

“We regret the deaths of the creators, but... we see no alternative. Forty percent.” Legion stated softly. There was clear compassion in his voice now.

Shepard glanced between Tali and Legion. Garrus was staring at her, brow-plates drawn downward in obvious concern. There were a few ways she could see this going, most of them not good. She shook her head and locked eyes on Legion.

“No. nobody else dies today. Legion. Keep going.” she locked eyes with Tali for a moment.

“Shepard?” Tali asked sounding heartbroken.

Shaking her head once more, she touched the implant near her ear and patched into the comm channel between ships. “All ships, this is Commander Shepard. The Reaper is dead. _Stand down_.”

Tali opened her omni-tool hurriedly at that. “This is Admiral Tali'Zorah. Shepard speaks with _my_ authority.”

“And mine as well.” Koris joined his support to their order.

“Negative! We can win this war! Keep firing!” Gerrel blasted across the airwaves.

“Sixty percent.” Legion stated, still turning that ball.

“The geth are about to return to full strength. If _you_ keep attacking, they'll _wipe you out!_ ” Shepard barked over the airwaves at them. “You're entire history is _you_ trying to _kill_ the _geth!_ _You_ _forced_ them to rebel. _You_ _forced_ them to ally with the Reapers! When does it end?”

“Eighty percent.”

“The geth don't want to fight you. Try to believe that... for just one minute.” Shepard took a breath and glanced around at the faces of her team, her friends... “The power... is in your hands... as is the choice... _Please_... keelah sel'ai...”

There was silence for several thundering heartbeats. Then a sigh came across the airways and Gerrel finally made the call. “All units... hold fire.”

“Error. Copying code is insufficient. Direct personality dissemination is... required.” Legion suddenly stated as he closed the sphere down. He turned to her and locked his optical receptors to her for a moment. “Shepard-Commander... I must go to them. I'm... I'm sorry. It's... the only way.”

“Legion...” Tali said as she stepped forward to look up at the geth. “The answer to your question... was 'yes'.”

Legion made eye contact with the quarian and nodded. “I know, Tali. But thank you. Keelah sel'ai.”

The geth stepped away from them and they heard the sizzle of suddenly powered down electronics. He dropped to his knees as the central light in his head went out. The lights down his spine winked out one by one in rapid succession until his entire chassis was dark. The geth dropped to his side in the dirt completely deactivated.

Shepard let out a ragged breath. _Death, that's what it is. He sacrificed himself so that his people could live_. She turned at the sound of feet behind her, eyes widening at Raan limping toward her.

“Commander!” Raan said as she stopped before them.

“Admiral Raan...” Shepard nodded.

“My ship crash-landed just after we fired on the Reaper.” she grumbled and pressed a hand to her side. “I was listening over the radio... if Han'Gerrel hadn't stopped...”

“He did.” the commander said firmly.

“We've taken heavy losses. I don't know if we can... _Where_ are we supposed to go?” Raan sounded so lost in that moment.

When Tali drew her pistol and Garrus stepped in close beside her, his own assault rifle drawn and ready, Shepard glanced past the woman. There was a Prime walking toward them. Her mouth went dry at the sight of it. The only thing that stayed her hand was the fact it did not appear armed. It was not coming toward them in a threatening manner. It stopped before Raan and the quarian looked up at it almost fearfully.

“You are welcome to return to Rannoch, Admiral Raan... with us.” the voice that poured from it was rich and deep.

“Legion?” Shepard asked as she stepped forward with a slight frown.

“No. I'm sorry, Commander. Legion sacrificed itself to give us all... life. It _will_ be honored.” the Prime answered.

Shepard nodded, at a loss for words. She had been under the impression that the geth would gain intelligence beyond their programming, but it seemed they had gained so much more. There was compassion and vigilance in this Prime's voice.

“We will also honor Legion's promise. The geth fleet will help you retake Earth. Our engineers are already leaving for the Crucible... to assist with construction.”

“As will ours, of course.” Raan nodded, still glancing sideways at the geth from time to time.

“Admiral, had you considered possible settlement sites?” the Prime asked as it stood a little taller.

“We... the southern continent was said to have excellent farmlands... as I recall.” Raan said, twisting her fingers together.

“Are you gonna be ok?” Shepard asked, pulling her eyes from the geth to watch Raan's nervous gestures.

Raan looked up a the geth before glancing back at her. She nodded with a sigh of relief. “I believe so, Commander. Thank you.”

Tali walked off toward the opposite side of the cliff from Legion's still form. Shepard turned and followed her, Garrus silently tailing her. She looked out across the view of the sea that this side offered. “Shopping for another house?”

“Beach front property.” Tali said with a quiet laugh.

“Claim it fast. It's a buyers market.” Shepard nodded.

Tali let out a sigh and shook her head before taking a seat on the ground. It was clearly a lot to take in. her people had just recovered their homeworld. They had called a truce with an age old enemy and now that former enemy was offering to help them with settlements.

Shepard took a seat and drew her knees up, wrapping her arms around them. “You ok? I know working with the geth will be difficult.”

“I'm not staying... I'm coming _with_ you.” Tali stated in a tone that brooked no argument.

“I wasn't gonna ask.” Shepard said, glancing at the quarian out of the corner of her eye.

“I think you've earned a few favors with the fleet.” Tali said, that jovial tone returning to her voice as she glanced at the commander.

Shepard sighed and leaned back. “I'm askin' them to launch an assault on the Reapers. Figure that makes us even.”

“If the Reapers were going to stay on Earth, sure.... but sooner or later, they'll come for Rannoch.” Tali stated what the commander had been thinking. They both knew it was true. There would be no safe haven from those mechanical nightmares.

“We did just kill one of 'em.” Shepard nodded. She was still trying to wrap her head around that fact. It had yet to sink in that she had actually walked away from that alive. True, she was feeling the bruises. It would be bad later.

“So I'm coming with you to stop them.... if... you think I can help.” Tali said, uncertainty creeping into her voice as she locked eyes with Shepard.

“You sure about this?” the commander wanted to make absolutely sure Tali knew what she was signing up for.

“Yeah.” the quarian nodded. “I look at all this... this picture of _hope and peace_... and all I see is everyone I've lost. There have been so many... but... I'm mourning a _geth_. How crazy is that?”

“It's not crazy at all.” Shepard said, gazing out at the rolling sea beyond.

“It is beautiful though, isn't it?” Tali asked getting to her feet.

“Yeah... it is. It reminds me of Earth.” Shepard said as she climbed to her feet as well.

“It'll be years before we can live without our suits completely, but right now...” Tali said as she stopped at the edge of the cliff. She reached up and removed the face plate of her mask. “Right now... I have this...”

The quarian turned and smiled at them, golden eyes roving over each of those standing there. Shepard heard the faint intake of breath from her bondmate that matched her own. Tali was pale, a faint flush of lavender coloring her cheeks. The commander noted the lines of circuitry running down toward her delicate brows. Those were clearly part of the suit, meant to monitor her overall well being. The lower section of the mask had receded toward her neck at the removal of the face shield. Her face seemed humanoid in shape. Thin lines separated her jaw from her upper face and another line ran from her nose, over her lips, to disappear under her chin. Beautiful, that was the thought that crossed the commander's mind at the sight of her friend's unmasked face.


	2. Sharing a Burden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Rannoch, Nana catches Garrus in the mess hall.

Garrus stood staring at the scene before him. _Feeling a little... what's the human term? ...shell-shocked? Seems fitting_. He scanned the scene slowly, taking it in and trying to make sense of how the cards kept stacking in his bondmate's favor. The turian was not complaining for a certainty, but somewhere deep down, he knew it just could not last. He watched the Prime stop beside Legion's still form and lift the geth gently.

“This unit will be honored, memorialized.” the Prime stated before walking off with the body.

Garrus blinked at that. He gasped at Tali removing the front of her mask to reveal her entire face. Though he had seen _Fleet and Flotilla_ , seeing the quarian actress unmasked on the big screen was one thing. Seeing his friend unmasked was... stunning. She was beautiful without that face plate. He could not deny that, but when his eyes found Shepard... The turian wanted to take the commander into his arms right then and there. He wanted to confirm what his eyes told him, that she was really there, still breathing, still alive. Even if a little worse for wear.

Stubbornly, he stood his ground. This was not the time nor the place for grand shows of affection. _Well, maybe the place, but there will be time later_. He glanced off at the setting sun behind her approvingly. There would be time on the shuttle to allow reality to sink in. His eyes narrowed on Nana for a moment before they returned to Shepard and the view behind her. He knew once he touched her, she would be in his arms for awhile after the stunt she had just pulled. The woman was reckless, but efficient. He could not fault her actions in the face of her success. Sometimes, however, he simply wished she would think those actions through a little better.

Garrus cleared his throat quietly as he watched the Normandy's shuttle drop toward them. His throat still felt raw from yelling and keening as the others prevented him from leaving the transport. Shepard would never have forgiven him if he had gotten out there and gotten himself gravely wounded or killed. He knew that to his thulium laced bones. Some part of him suspected she might even give up the fight if he died on a mission. He did not intend to give her the chance to find out what life without him might be like. Life without her was not something he wanted a repeat of...ever.

“That's our ride. I'm sure the Council will be eager to hear how reclaiming Rannoch went.” Shepard stated as she turned toward Admiral Raan and the Prime again.

“I'm sure they'll want to know you're still alive, Commander.” Raan stated quietly.

“I should probably warn the Alliance about the Primes and geth engineers heading for the Crucible.” Shepard nodded before turning back toward the shuttle as the hatch opened.

Garrus followed her inside the shuttle quickly as Tali and Nana brought up the rear. The second Shepard took a seat, he dropped into the one beside her and took her hand between his two much larger ones. He caught the smug, knowing look that pinned itself to Nana's face then. Choosing to ignore her, he focused on his own breathing. This mission had been terrible. That Reaper could have killed them all. If not for the laser targeting device, he knew it would have killed Shepard. The whole thing still seemed so surreal to him. His bondmate had faced off with that thing toe-to-toe and lived to tell the tale. He was not sure any of the rest of them could have done that.

Shepard leaned back with a groan and rested her head on the back of the seat as she gripped his hand. She was clearly exhausted, but he knew there were reports to be made. Unfortunately, no one else could make those reports for her. He would have volunteered otherwise.

“Shepard...” he began quietly, his voice still nearly hoarse from earlier.

“I know... I took a risk... a big one...” she sat forward and rested her elbows on her knees, releasing his hand in the process.

“That's not... Crap... I'd be lying if I said I wasn't going to mention it.” Garrus admitted with a sigh.

“I didn't see any other option. That Reaper... it could have killed us....” Shepard raised up and locked eyes with him. She looked more tired that he had thought. “I can't... Being responsible for the team's deaths like that... for yours...?”

Watching the emotions play across her very expressive human face, he realized that responsibility might have broken her. He knew that thought plagued him every mission. It would break him to lose her again. Neither of them would survive the loss of the other for long, he was certain of that. It had taken them so long to finally come together. They had barely managed to set aside all the fears and phobias that went with building an inter-species relationship such as theirs. Even their own peoples had put up multitudes of roadblocks, but they had finally managed it.

Shaking his head faintly, Garrus gently tucked a stray lock of hair behind her left ear. “We're in this together, Shepard. To the end.... which won't be until _long_ after we've won this thing....”

Shepard chuckled and nodded. “And retired somewhere far away from any kind of conflict.”

“I... have some ideas about that...” Garrus drawled as he caressed her cheekbone with a gloved thumb.

“I'd love to hear them.” the tone of her voice dropped into an octave that just seemed to radiate through his keel as if she were production turian-like sub-harmonics in that moment. She did that every now and then. It nearly drove him wild everytime.

“Get... a room...” Tali growled from the opposite side of the shuttle.

Garrus snorted and Shepard huffed a faint laugh. The commander looked over at the quarian with a narrowed eyed smile then and Garrus all but cringed. _Here it comes.._.

“ _Awww_... what's wrong, Tali? Are you jealous?” Shepard taunted with a breathy laugh in her voice.

The quarian crossed her arms with a glare clearly visible through her face plate. “Of course not!”

“What about your Reegar, dear? I hear he's on the mend after that nasty business on Palaven. Something about repairing a communications tower...” Nana said beside the quarian.

“He lost his entire squad. They thought he was dead too. The turians almost put him on a funeral pyre.” Tali stated.

“Send him a message, dear. I'm sure he'd like to hear from you.” Nana said, patting the quarian woman's shoulder.

The moment the shuttle touched down in the shuttle bay, Tali and Nana were out and gone. Garrus stood and drew Shepard to her feet. The commander swayed slightly and he steadied her with a concerned look.

“Maybe... you should see Chakwas.” Garrus suggested.

“What I need... is a shower...” Shepard moaned softly as she headed for the hatch.

Garrus could not argue that. He very much wanted a shower himself. Some downtime, that was what they all needed. He meant to see that Shepard got some quiet time tonight. Whatever it took, that was what he meant to do to ensure she had some uninterrupted downtime. He would even camp out in the battery tonight, if necessary. Rolling naked on the couch might not be the best idea with the bruising she had taken from that Reaper.

“I've gotta report in before I can stop for a shower.” Shepard grumbled as they headed for the elevator. “See you in our quarters later?”

Garrus nodded at that as they entered the elevator. He poked the buttons for both the crew deck and the CIC. Shepard would be heading for the QEC. He needed to run a few calibrations. The Normandy's guns had to be at peak performance. They just never knew when they might encounter something nasty along the way. The Collectors came to mind, but he knew they were no longer a possibility.

“Some good food, a bottle of wine... maybe a vid...” Shepard side wistfully. “And a shower.”

“I need to update the firing algorithms... could take awhile.” Garrus cupped her face and pressed his plated brow to her forehead as the door opened on the crew deck. “Why don't you start without me? Take a few minutes... that are just... for you...”

Shepard smiled up at him, eyes locked to his and hummed softly. “Maybe... but I expect you in our quarters before I start _Fleet and Flotilla_.”

“You're actually going to watch it?” that took him by surprise. They had planned to watch it together for some time now and had never quite gotten around to it.

“Unless you have other plans.” she said, leaning back and cocking her head to the side slightly.

“Just a few calibrations.” he stated quickly and glanced back at her before stepping out of the elevator. His nose plates crinkled together with his next words. “I'll make them quick.”

“Uh-huh.” she said with a knowing smile just as the doors closed between them.

Garrus sighed as he headed around the bend toward the mess and the main battery. “So much for trying to give her some alone time...”

“Haven't you figured it out yet, boy? Shepard doesn't want to be alone. She wants you glued to her side as much as possible.” came Nana's sharp comment.

The turian nearly jumped out of his plates when he realized the asari was sitting at one of the mess hall tables nursing a steaming beverage. “ _Spirits, Natearus!_ You could scare the gizzard out of a guy hiding like that!”

“ _Nana._..” she corrected with a stern tone.

“Whatever...” Garrus grumbled half under his breath.

“Come... sit... have some tea. Surely you can spare a moment or two for your old Cabal instructor.” Nana said softly and indicated the chair across from her with a wave of her hand.

Garrus narrowed his eyes at the asari then. “Why the sudden interest?”

“We'll be heading to Thessia soon.” Nana said quietly as the turian moved around the table and stood behind the chair. “Garrus... my world is under attack.”

Nodding, the turian turned toward the kitchenette. He realized Natearus needed a friend right now. She must have gotten word of her world before the mission to Rannoch. As he stopped before the stove, his nasal plates twitched in approval.

“Tholam berry tea?” he glanced over his shoulder, twisting just a fraction to see her.

“I spared no expense in the supplies I had brought aboard.” Nana nodded.

Garrus nodded before turning back to the stove. Grabbing his scalloped mug from the cabinet to the left, he poured himself a generous amount. It was an indulgence he had not had since his stay on Palaven when Shepard had dropped him off. Even then it had been a rare treat.

Once he was satisfied with the taste, he returned to the table with it and took the seat the asari had indicated. Wrapping his hands around the mug, he allowed the heat from the liquid to seep into his chilled fingers. Even with his armor, the Normandy's temperature was just a little less than he would have liked.

“Alright... you wanted a minute.” Garrus nodded with a sigh over the steaming cup before he brought it to his mouth plates. “You've got it.”

As Nana began speaking, his eyes grew wider with every word that passed the asari's lips. His tea was forgotten and grew cold in his grasp. He stared into its depths as if he could find the answers to life's most profound questions there.

After several long moments of silence, he dragged his eyes away from the mug and locked them onto Nana. The question was simple. “Does Shepard know?”

“No... and you're not going to tell her.” Nana said sharply. “That's my burden.”

“So why tell me?” Garrus breathed, the shock still rolling through his sub-harmonics.

“Because you needed to know... and... I'll need your support when I'm finally able to tell her.” Nana grumbled softly.

“Shepard's right... nothing's ever easy.... is it?” Garrus rumbled in distress, pushing his mug to the side and dropping his plated brow to the table's surface with a thump.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We'll see how this goes. I'm having some painful medical issues. Chapters will be moving quite a bit slower than intended due to that.


	3. Progress Report

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard gives Hackett her report and gets a pep talk in the process.

Shepard was feeling a little cautious about meeting with Tevos on the Citadel. She was about to leave the QEC when Traynor informed her that Hackett was waiting. With a sigh, she turned to face the unit once more. This was not a conversation she really wanted to have. True, she had just won the quarians their homeworld back. She had even won them what might become a lasting peace with their synthetic creations, but... Earth, the Crucible... those weighed heavy on her shoulders. There was still so much more to do and she worried Hackett was just going to pile even more on them. Where was the breaking point? The last straw? She knew there had to be one. Elysium had taught her that years ago. If not for Cerberus, she would have carried those scars for life.

“Commander, good to see you're still in one piece.” Hackett said as she opened the channel and he materialized.

“What's our state of readiness, Admiral?” Shepard asked bluntly.

“We're getting there. And with the Reapers pressing their advantage across all fronts, we don't have a lot of time to catch up.” Hackett answered with a wave of his hand.

Shepard frowned at that. She knew it was bad out there, but the hope was they might still have a little time. All their hopes for the future rested on the completion and readiness of the Crucible. If they could not... she let that train of thought derail.

It seemed the Reapers were baring down on them so much harder than before. Maybe they knew something. Shepard changed her line of questioning. “What about the extra help we've picked up along the way?”

“Bringing in the geth _and_ the quarians... I can see that helping us immensely. But they have to get here and that takes time.” Hackett answered with another wave of his hand. “The turians and krogan have obviously been a big help. Urdnot Wrex running the show is a bonus for us. And that krogan female you rescued is rallying more support from the other clans.”

“And the salarians?” Shepard asked and thought a moment before adding the next question. “How's Mordin?”

“The salarians sent the _entire_ fleet as a thank you for saving their councilor.” Hackett nodded and glanced at something to the side with a grimace. “Mordin is... well, I guess I'd have to call him eccentric. He's been running tests on sea shells in his spare time...” Hackett muttered the next question under his breath before continuing. “ _Where did he get them?_ ”

Shepard huffed a laugh and nodded. “That certainly sounds like Mordin. I assume he's become invaluable to the team. Maybe making suggestions for improvement?”

A moment later, she saw a flicker of movement behind the admiral. Then the QEC image resolved into Mordin stepping in behind the man. His hand planted itself on the admiral's shoulder and pushed him slightly to the side with a huge smile. “ _Shepard!_ Still alive! Good, good. Hear from Natearus?”

“Excuse me?” Hackett grumbled as he glared back at the elder salarian.

“Human scientist... not listening to advice... Have to fine tune _countermeasure_ myself.” Mordin grumbled, not really making a lot of sense to her.

“Kindly return to your work, Doctor Solus. Shepard and I are in a meeting.” Hackett growled irritably.

“Fine! Will be in touch, Shepard. So much to do... testing sea shells in spare time. Exciting.” Mordin smiled again and glanced at Hackett. “Tell her!”

Shepard had crossed her arms, one hand covering her mouth as her shoulders shook in a fit of silent laughter. Somehow they reminded her of some centuries old vids that were once popular. She believed they were called _The Odd Couple_.

“Please forgive the awkward disruption, Commander.” Hackett began, looking completely mortified.

“I expect no less from Mordin, sir.” Shepard reigned in her mirth and made direct eye contact with the holo-image of the admiral. “What did he want you to tell me?”

“He's – got some crazy idea about shield harmonics and resonance frequencies – ” Hackett began and shook his head, clearly at a loss with all things scientific. “You'll have to ask him.”

“I'll do that...” she nodded and came to another more pressing questions that needed an answer. “What's the Reaper situation? How far and fast are they advancing?”

Hackett shook his head with a sigh. “It's not good. The asari are a prime target. As the most advanced race in the galaxy – I can't see the outcome being any better than it was for Palaven.”

“Right...” Shepard huffed out. She knew how badly it had gone for Palaven. Her bondmate virtually lost his homeworld in a matter of days. She knew there must be fewer than thirty million of his people left scattered across the galaxy.

“They'll be calling for assistance soon. They may even recall the Destiny Ascension. I expect the Normandy to answer that call as well.” Hackett stated.

“Understood, sir.” Shepard stood a little straighter with a nod. Then something he said struck home. “The Destiny Ascension isn't parked in their airspace?”

“No. The asari haven't forgotten that you saved it three years ago. They sent it here to defend the Crucible while we finish our work.” Hackett answered.

Shepard chewed on her next question hard before she finally found the courage to address it. “If I may, Admiral, I have a personal question.”

“Speak freely, Commander.” Hackett stated with a nod and an open-handed gesture.

Shepard stepped forward, pressing her hands to the rail and locked eyes with him. The look on her face so serious it almost appeared bitter. “Why me? Why put me in charge of all this?”

“ _Because_ – you're the only soldier in this whole damn navy... who _knows_ how to kill Reapers.” Hackett stressed his reasoning sharply with a nod.

The commander pushed herself off the railing with a huff of breath. She flung a hand out and half glared at him. “You just have to be smart and hope you get lucky. Anyone can figure it out.”

“Your dossier says otherwise, Shepard.” Hackett shifted his weight. “You stopped the batarian slavers on Elysium all those years ago. What you did – the people who survived that ordeal still thank you by name.”

Shepard took a step back, eyes narrowing on the admiral. She was not sure how she felt about his reasoning. It certainly did not feel to her as if that was a good enough resume. “And... because of that... you think _I_ qualify to save the galaxy?”

“Shepard, let me tell you something I've learned the hard way. You can pay a soldier to fire a gun. You can pay him to charge the enemy and take a hill. But you _can't_ pay him to believe.” Hackett gave her the quick and dirty of what he had learned, that much was clear. “Your crew will follow you to the ends of the universe itself – because they _believe_ – in you, their leader. That kind of loyalty _can't_ be bought. It can't be sold. It can only be _earned_. You've earned your place, Shepard. You're doing what you were meant to do. I know you're the one who will get us to the other side.”

The burden just seemed to get that much heavier with his words. She knew her crew believed in her. They had stood by her proudly through every mission she had dragged them into. It did not matter if it was a rescue or a suicide mission. Each one of them believed in her, she knew they did. She had earned their loyalty as well as their friendship. The bonds that tied them together were stronger than any she had known growing up... save maybe her bond with Nana in her mid teens. Some of it, she knew, was just the people she had managed to scrape together. But they would deny it. Claim it was her influence that had bound them together.

 _Maybe it is. Just look at the racial diversity. Could they have come together on their own?_ She knew that answer. It was a resounding no. The krogan and the turians were mortal enemies before she threw Garrus and Wrex together. The krogan considered the salarians to be no better than a poisonous lunch thanks to their development of the genophage. And everybody thought the quarians were thieves and vagabonds.

“Nothing more, sir.” Shepard finally nodded.

“Keep me informed of your progress, Commander. Hackett out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapters are still coming.... slowly. I hope to increase the speed in the near future.


	4. Distraction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus is trying to figure out exactly how he's supposed to keep Nana's bombshell to himself. Shepard is a little disappointed that he missed their video date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dual pov chapter. They like these intimate moments to reflect their joint thoughts....

It was late when Garrus finally made his way up to their quarters. The lights were dim when he entered, the fish tank dimmed down to a faint glow. He grumbled to himself as he stumbled down the stairs toward the living section. Shepard let out a soft moan as she shifted on the bed. She had clearly fallen asleep waiting for him. The button on her pants glinted faintly in the amber light from the holo-display near the bed. He kicked himself for missing the time alone with her, but the turian knew she needed the sleep more. She would have insisted they watch that vid together and though she might have nodded off through it, she might not have really rested.

Moving past the chair sitting between the bed and the coffee table, Garrus stepped on something that crunched softly. Moving his foot, he saw the remains of what Shepard called 'popcorn'. She generally ate that when they watched vids together.

Letting out a sigh, he glanced up toward the model case. Sure enough, the screen was open. She must have tried to watch _Fleet and Flotilla_ without him. That just made him feel so much worse about skipping out on their time alone.

“Crap...” he murmured mournfully to himself.

“Garrus?” came Shepard's sleep thickened whisper.

Looking back toward the bed, he saw her half raised up trying to make out what she clearly saw as a shadow. His sight was just a fraction better than human sight. Turians saw better in the dark than most humanoids. He could see her clear enough to notice the pinched line of a frown forming between her brows.

“Yeah...” he said softly as he sat on the end of the bed to work his boots off.

“You missed... our date....” she almost sounded as if she were whining. She was definitely disappointed.

Commander Shepard did not whine, but he would forgive her just this once. It was his fault anyway. She had been asleep, after all and she was right. After the bombshell Nana dropped on him earlier, he was not sure how he was supposed to react. _How am I going to keep this from my mate until Natearus is ready to tell her? Damn, I wish she hadn't told me_.

“Were the firing algorithms really that bad?” Shepard asked as she sat up.

“Something like that.” he answered. It was not quite a lie. The calibrations had taken longer than he had expected. That was also his fault. His mind kept wandering back to what Nana had told him. There was also the fact that he had neglected them for the last few days.

Garrus felt the bed shift behind him and her knees came to rest against his hips. Her hands slipped across his waist and a tremor passed through him. She pressed herself against his carapace as she wrapped her arms around him, hands slipping over his chest plates on either side of his keel. He let out a faint rumbling purr as his eyes slid shut. Her touch was always so warm and so very welcome. He had grown so accustomed to it that he felt almost dependent on it. She knew all the right places to ease the tensions of the day. He thought she might even have invented some that only a human might find. There were places between many of his plates than another of his kind would never have gotten away with touching.

Shepard's human fingers brought shivers of pleasure to his frame as she touched some of those places now. He had not realized she had slipped her hands under his tunic. His body began to respond to her on a primal level and his rumbling purr cranked up to something closer to a growl.

“Are you... trying to... seduce me, Commander?” he rumbled softly as he turned his head to the left in an effort to catch a glimpse of her face.

“Is it working?” she asked softly.

“Hmmm...” he rumbled softly and twisted, scooting off the bed to slip to his knees on the floor before her.

Garrus wiggled his fingers in behind her knees and tugged her to the edge of the bed, allowing her a moment to shift her legs. Once she was situated, he grabbed the waistband of her pants and hauled her up against him. Her arms wrapped around his neck, just inside his cowl and he rubbed his scarred mandible gently against her cheek. Letting out a sigh of contentment, he rested his plated brow against her forehead and locked eyes with her.

“You seem a little tense, Officer Vakarian.” Shepard breathed, her voice husky with obvious desire. “Maybe I could help you work that off.”

Mandibles twitching in a smile as he snorted a faint laugh, Garrus tipped his head and nipped gently at her lips with his mouth plates. She cupped the back of his head in one hand while the other slid gently forward across his scarred mandible. Her fingers grazed the underside of his jaw and he inhaled sharply at the thrill that surged through him from fringe to toes. He feathered his tongue against her lips then and she answered his request with one of those delicious human kisses he craved.

#

Shepard had waited for him to return to their quarters for several hours before she nodded off. When he finally came stumbling in, she realized he seemed a little stressed. Since he clearly was not willing to talk to her about what had stressed him out, she meant to alleviate that stress in a more creative way. Firing up his senses and bringing on his desire was her intent. She would have done it earlier if he had curled up with her to watch that vid. As it was, she had not watched it herself.

Now she kissed him passionately, allowing him to taste her desire for him. Her legs wrapped around his waist of their own accord as his hands roved across her waist and back. His humming purr climbed into a growl of desire as she ran her short nails down the outer edges of the plates that ran down his neck.

Her tank top disappeared in a matter of minutes as he hauled it over her head. Her hands slipped forward and released the seals of his tunic just as quickly. He squirmed out of it while still trying desperately to maintain as much contact as possible. With a snarl of frustration, he stood and tugged the buckles and straps of his pants until they had all but vanished. She followed his example and gave him that seductive smile that seemed to tear right through him when she saw just how much of his attention she really had.

Garrus barely waited for her to completely step out of her pants before he hauled her against him again. His large three-fingered hands slipped from her waist to her ass, squeezing just a fraction. One hand slid down her thigh and she took the hint, raising her leg up. He tugged it up over his hip crest as he bent his knees a fraction to accommodate her shorter stature. It took him all over five seconds to hoist her up once he had a firm hold of her.

The turian did not grant her the penetration she sought right away. Instead, he carried her the three steps to the chair tucked against the wall. It was a favorite place since he could get the leverage he needed there.

#

Shepard chuckled and let out a sound that could almost have been a purr as he lowered her to the chair. It vibrated through is plates and set his already inflamed senses on fire. That last run on Rannoch had nearly taken her from him. He had not realized just how much he needed her arms around him until now. Her touch reaffirmed what his other sense told him; she was still with him, still alive. _How many more nights might we have like this_ , he wondered. Right now, he did not want to think about that. Now there was only her and his desire for her.

Garrus rubbed himself gently against her and pressed his plated brow against her smooth forehead. She let out a shuddering sigh that mirrored his own at the contact. He rubbed the ridges of his erection against her slick folds a couple more times before he buried his face in the apex of her shoulder and neck. His mouth plates gently gripped the bondmark he had left there. It seemed so long ago now. There were so many things he wanted to say to her in that moment, but he still found many of those words hard to force past his mandibles.

Instead, he simply nipped at the at the scars, feathering his tongue over them after each nip. The action was meant to reinforce his bond to her as he slid slowly into her. He crossed his wrists behind her and gripped the back of the chair with the humming moan of completion that vibrated through every plate on his body. Her body molded itself around him as she echoed that moan.

#

Shepard let out a long satisfied moan that echoed his as he pressed the ridges of his erection into her. She never got enough of the feel of him on her, around her, within her. Garrus was her everything and she whispered as much near his ruined ear-pore as she gripped the rear rim of his cowl. They savored the feeling of completion for several long moments before he began to slowly move against her. She let out a heady breath at his movements and kissed along the length of his scarred mandible. He felt so good sheathed within her as he was. His ridges slipped against all the right places and she locked her ankles around him.

Flexing her legs, she encouraged him to push deeper and he followed the silent instructions. That white-hot point of pleasure began to expand between them and she let out a quiet gasp. His lower back muscles flexed beneath her legs with every forward snap of his hips. The pace was picking up seemingly on it's own as their movements became more desperate in the race for release. She clung to him as he rose up over her. One hand released the back of the char and gripped the back of her thigh, just above her knee. He pushed her knee toward her shoulder and thrust into her deeper still. Her gasp was more a cry of pleasure at that.

The rumbling purr that vibrated through him sent shocks of pleasure dancing along her nervous system with every thrust. His pitch changed the higher they climbed together. She could not remember having heard so much of his sub-harmonics the last time they had done this. His tones were like a song of rapture weaving around her. Love, contentment, joy, pleasure... all had a tone within that humming melody that vibrated through his carapace. Not quite words, but feelings and tones that seemed to represent everything he was trying to express in this one act.

Shepard crested faster than she expected with the cry of his name on her lips. A few stuttering thrusts later and Garrus followed her, his mouth gripping her shoulder once more to muffle his own snarling cry. His sub-harmonic song dipped into a low purr of love and contentment then as he curled around her.

#

Leaning back on his heels, Garrus drew her with him into his lap in one fluid motion. They were still connected and he meant to remain that way as long as possible. He rubbed his mandibles against her cheeks gently, languidly as he tried to find enough strength to lift them both and carry her back to the bed. That chair was a perfect starter, but he planned to give her the control she craved for their second round.

As the shocks of pleasure receded and the tremors ceased, he found the strength to rise to his feet. He carried her to the bed, holding onto her as he put a knee in the mattress. They moved in tandem then, but he was still forced to withdraw from her. A faint keen escaped him at that necessity as she scooting toward the middle of the bed. He crawled up after her and all but collapsed onto his side. She wiggled a leg into the gap between his waist and the bed. The other draped over his other side. A moment later, she rolled him onto his back as he grabbed a pillow and tucked it under his head. Sometimes his fringe was a pain in the ass.

Garrus carefully gripped the crests of her hipbones and savored the feel of them. So different from a turian woman, but he had grown to greatly appreciate them. She rocked her hips against him a couple of times and he gasped at the stimulation. He was still very much interested in the night's activities. She shifted just right and caught the tip of his erection in her opening. With a wicked smile, she rolled her hips and virtually swallowed him whole in one motions. Another gasp tore it's way from his lungs at the movement.

Sub-harmonics singing everything he felt for her, he allowed her to take control now. She rocked against him, rolling her hips for maximum pleasure and penetration. Still somewhat over stimulated from the last round, he's faint grunts were accompanied by something closer to snarls.

#

Shepard pushed them both to the limits of pleasure. She reveled in the sounds coming from him along with those sweet sub-harmonics. Some part of her realized that her hearing was far more evolved than normal human parameters now, but she did not care. She delighted in his confessions of love, his desires to build a life and family with her. All the things that were once below or above her range of hearing blossomed into understanding as she sobbed his name in release. This time he joined her with a snarl of his own mere seconds later. He rose up, curling forward to wrap his arms around her the moment she rocked back a fraction. His sigh of contentment translated as a soft stuttering hum near her ear as he nuzzled into her neck.

They remained locked in that position for a time, just reveling in the feel and closeness of each other. She had no intention of moving until fatigue forced one of them to. These moments were the best of her life. The moments spent in the turian's arms were those precious few when the war and all the worries that came with it receded to the background. _What would it be like if there was no war?_ That question surfaced lazily and she entertained the idea of retirement. _The Alliance will certainly owe me that much. Hell, the whole damn galaxy will owe me. I only want peace and... Garrus_.

#

The turian shifted and drew her with him as he sagged to his side on the bed. Her left thigh supported the gap between his waist and the mattress comfortably. They were still joined, but he was slowly beginning to recede as he found a comfortable position. He reached up and toyed with a lock of her hair between his talons as his gazed lazily at her face. Memorizing every line and curve, he realized he did this just before every mission. In the back of his mind, he knew he could lose her in an instant. He meant to keep an image of her contented face permanently locked into his mind for the rest of his life should the worst come to pass.

Sub-harmonics still rumbling his nesting desires, he pulled her closer and pressed his mouth plates to her lips. What he still found hard to vocalize, he mouthed against those soft mounds of flesh. She licked at the soft tissue at the inner edge of his upper plate. He took the hint and swept his tongue across hers in a passionate kiss. It was a skill he had excelled at quickly. Breaking the kiss, he pressed his scarred mandible against her cheek and hummed as he ran his talons through her hair. He would not trade these moments in her arms for all the stars in the galaxy... or the universe, for that matter. Garrus only hoped this was enough to make up for missing their video date. It had certainly pushed Nana's bombshell to the back burner for the moment. He was drifting. Exhaustion taking it's toll as he took a deep breath and tucked her close. A shower could come later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The muses decided it was a good idea to distract themselves as much as me with this piece.


	5. Planning for Thessia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard had a game plan for Thessia until Nana and Javik threw themselves into the mix.

They slept in each other's arms for a time, curled together, one facing the other. His legs where tucked against her bottom, one arm draped over her waist as he let out a reedy sound in deep sleep. Shepard watched the turian sleep for several long moments. The mandible not half mashed into the pillow twitched every so often. His eyes rolled under the lids and she knew he must be dreaming. Over the last months he had been sleeping much longer than what she had thought was normal for a turian. It had lead her to look it up. Palaven's rotational cycle was almost four and a half hours longer than Earth's. By her way of thinking, that meant turians tended to sleep longer if given a chance. She gave Garrus that chance when she moved him in with her. His sleep cycle had slowly adjusted to match hers over the course of the last few months. It made her smile now to watch the blue tip of his tongue peek out of his mouth and quiver slightly.

The sudden sharp intake of breath and his eyes snapping open wildly brought a frown to her face. Those crystal blue eyes searched the room quickly, his pupils adjusting to the low lighting before finding her face. The tension that had coiled through his frame relaxed just as suddenly as it had evolved and he released that breath he had sucked in quietly. Clearly he was still having nightmares, but he was no longer thrashing in his sleep as he had when they first began sharing quarters. He caressed her jawline with a talon tip and flicked his mandible just before a great mouth spreading yawn seized him.

Shepard let out a sigh when her omni-tool began vibrating just under her skin. Opening the thing, she was greeted with a message from Joker. Apparently he had not wanted to 'interrupt' anything or risk waking them so early. She read the message and groaned. Stretching, she shifted her right leg down the turian's leg and then rolled to her back. Her left leg was still under him and he carefully moved to release it.

“We enter Thessia orbit?” Garrus asked quietly as he sat up.

“Huh-uh... just exited the relay in the Parnitha System.” Shepard yawned as she sat up as well.

“An hour or so out then.” Garrus nodded and got to his feet. He took her hands and drew her up with him. “Shower, Commander. That's an order.”

“Insubordinate.” she laughed softly, but followed him up the stairs.

“Hmmm....” the turian hummed as he glanced back at her. His mandibles flicked in a quick smile as one brow-plate raised. “....can't be insubordinate...”

“Alright, _Commodore_... let's get that shower.” she chuckled even as he cringed at the title.

“I think I prefer 'officer'.” he grumbled as he drew her into the bathroom behind him.

As they washed each other, Shepard reflected on the meeting with Tevos. It had been brief. The Normandy put into the Citadel for supplies and she had gone to Udina's old office. It felt strange being in there knowing the man was dead. She still could not quite comprehend why the asari councilor seemed to be taking up residence in his office; however.

Shepard knew that was not as important as the information the asari had given her. There was an artifact on Thessia that might hold the key to figuring out the Catalyst. She needed that artifact or at least the information it held. That was the primary reason they were headed for Thessia now. The trouble was, the planet was just as war-torn as Palaven. There was a clear Reaper presence in the system and the Normandy was running in stealth to drop her and a team on the planet.

Garrus said nothing of her distraction as she oiled his plates and hide. He knew just as well as she what they were about to drop into. There was no question that he would be joining the mission. The turian did not let her take on missions without him these days. Too risky, he said more often than not. Things could go sideways far too easily. She knew he was right, but sometimes they went sideways even with him along. Rannoch and the so-called Reaper base came to mind. Their most recent mission, still so fresh in everyone's minds. She knew things could have gone so much worse.

Once their bathing needs were met, they dressed quickly and headed down to the CIC. Shepard stepped off while Garrus remained. He planned to meet her in the shuttle bay. She nodded to him as the doors closed before turning toward the galaxy map. Stepping up to it, she gripped the railing and looked it over. The system was flagged red with a digital Reaper marking it like an infection.

“Commander, Thessia is under heavy Reaper attack.” Joker said over the ship's comm. He knew she was at the galaxy map, she had pinged his omni-tool. “There's activity across most of the planet.”

Shepard let out a sigh of frustration and leaned on the railing. “What about the temple? Can you raise the scientists?”

“Negative. All channels are scrambled across the spectrum.” Joker replied. “The mission's looking really dicey.”

Nodding to herself, she pushed off the railing and stepped down from the map. She walked briskly around the map toward the flight deck. The need to see the planet was almost overwhelming. She took note of Liara catching up to her and following her into Joker's domain.

“This is too important. It's now or never.” Shepard stated as she stopped within his range of hearing.

“Shepard... that's my home down there. I _have_ to go.” Liara said as she stopped abreast of her.

Shepard glanced back at her for a moment before she took another look out the viewports at the burning world below. “Then get to the shuttle, and let's do this.”

Liara nodded and charged after her when she finally turned, heading back through the CIC. As the elevator opened she took note of Nana in the far corner. The elder asari was already armored with her shotgun slung over her back.

Nana obviously made note of the deepening frown on the commander's face and stood there defiantly. She held up a hand when Shepard opened her mouth to say something. “I'm going. Only left to help my girls. It's time I help run these bastards off my world.”

Shepard stared at the elder asari for a moment longer before nodding. Nana deserved a chance to take out some Reaper-spawn the same as Liara. Instead of making the suggestion she had meant to, she nodded. There was no need to call Garrus down to the shuttle, he would already be there.

The elevator opened on the shuttle bay and Garrus stood near the workbench reassembling his black widow. It was obvious what he had been doing with it. Cleaning and adjusting the mods he had added, something he always did before a mission. She noticed the larger secondary barrel beneath the standard issue and smiled with a nod. He had added his personal touch to the weapon with a barrel that could fire the biotically charged heat syncs he favored. Even still, it was a beautiful weapon, if weapons could be considered as such.

Shepard wasted no time tossing on her armor. Garrus stowed his weapon across his back and stepped over to help her with parts of it. She gave him a coy smile as his hand cupped one breast of her chest plate while his other pulled the strap under her arm tight. He seemed to notice where his hand was after a moment and flicked his mandibles in an almost embarrassed smile. He glanced around at the others, but none seemed to have noticed.

Nana gave them a knowing look as she walked by and headed into the shuttle. The look that swept over her bondmate's face at the sight of the asari was not lost on the commander. She frowned at the look and put a hand on his arm.

“What is it?” she asked softly.

“Hmm... just a feeling...” the turian rumbled.

Shepard's frown deepened as she heard the half truth in his sub-harmonics. She tilted her head to better catch the sound. His eyes fell on her face with a faint frown of his own and his sub-harmonics suddenly damped down to next to nothing.

“What aren't you telling me?” she asked in a quietly suspicious tone.

“It can wait... Not my place to spill this information anyway.” he indicated the asari disappearing into the shuttle with a nod of his head. “It's hers...”

After a moment, Shepard let out a frustrated sigh and cupped his face with one hand. “Alright...”

“You... uh... you hear it... don't you?” Garrus asked softly as he stepped in just a little closer, looking down at her with an odd look pinning his mandibles.

“Hear what?” she asked innocently.

“Hmm... my... uh...” he was clearly searching for the right word. He took a deep breath when the word seemed to click into place and continued. “...my su-kor-a..”

“You're what?” she asked, tilting her head a fraction at him.

“You're people call it sub-harmonics.” he explained with a nod as he traced a gloved talon along her jawline.

“I hear... _something_. More vibration than sound... at least until last night.” she admitted reluctantly.

“You've been hearing it for awhile now. I doubt you realized what it was.” he paused, a smile spreading his mandibles slightly as the skin around his eyes crinkled. “Hmm... you'll have a better understanding of... turians... of _me_...”

“I already understand you, lover.” Shepard said and tipped her head to him. He touched her forehead with his brow-plates briefly before pressing his mouth plates to her lips.

“There is Prothean technology hidden away on Thessia! I will be there to recover the information!” came Javik's snarling voice as he exited the elevator.

“I must remind you, Commander Shepard has not requested that you join the mission.” came EDI's voice through the comm system.

“I do not care. I will go alone, if I must!” Javik was practically raging.

“It's alright, EDI. I've got this.” Shepard said to the AI through the comm before she could continuing arguing the case with the Prothean.

“Commander, I must go the planet's surface with your team. I believe my knowledge of my people's technology will be of great use.” Javik stated as he stopped before her.

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Shepard finally glared at him. “Fine. Grab your gear.”

“Shepard...” Garrus rumbled.

“Don't worry, you're coming too. I can't leave you behind.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> su-kor-a [sue-cor-eh]- sub-harmonic song or cadence of rhythmic flowing sound


	6. The First Outpost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liara watched the destruction on the tiny screen mounted to the wall with a sinking feeling. That's my homeworld down there. The Reapers are ripping it apart. How am I supposed to feel?

“Do you have anything more on this artifact, Liara?” Shepard asked as they settled in for the shuttle drop to the surface.

Liara watched the destruction on the tiny screen mounted to the wall with a sinking feeling. _That's my homeworld down there. The Reapers are ripping it apart. How am I supposed to feel?_ There were many more thoughts rolling through her mind like that as she tried to focus on the commander's words.

“These coordinates the councilor gave you – are for the Temple of Athame.” Liara breathed. She remembered the temple vividly. “My mother took me there once. It's several thousand years old – and for some reason, it has classified government funding.”

“Sounds a little suspicious... why would the government fund a religious temple?” Garrus asked speculatively.

Liara let out a frustrated sigh and shook her head. “What if we're too late? My people are dying down there.”

“Your empathy is a weakness. You must numb yourself to loss.” Javik spoke up from the rear of the shuttle.

Liara glared at him. She did not need nor did she want his brand of input on this. He was not what she had expected his people to be. True, there was a connection, some sort of allure between them, but she resisted it. He irritated her to no end.

“Benezia took you to this temple?” Shepard asked, her eyes dragging away from the Prothean in obvious irritation to lock with Liara's.

“I was just a child. I thought it was a history lesson, but now – maybe there was more to it.” Liara said as she got restlessly to her feet.

“What do you mean?” the commander asked simply enough.

The asari thought about the trip for a moment. There had been so much information in that temple. So many references to Athame that did not quite seem – asari – in nature. She was reluctant to examine any of those ideas, however. They brought the very core of belief system into question. That was not something she could face with the Reapers tearing her world apart.

Opening her omni-tool, she brought up her mother's files instead. “I went digging through her old files. She had heavily encrypted records on this place, some dating back centuries. I still can't crack most of them.”

“I've studied your old mission reports. Your mother was indoctrinated.” Javik almost seemed to have a sneer on his face. The tone of his voice screamed of contempt.

“Yes, we had to kill her.” Liara said softly as she returned to her seat.

“Yet it did not stop you from fighting. As I said, steel yourself. Many more lives will be lost.” Javik continued preaching his emotionless mandate. It was beginning to sound like welcoming some horrible form of indoctrination to Liara and she could not do that.

“I remember your mother.” Garrus said softly as he stepped toward them, a look of sympathy and concern pinning his mandibles a little higher to his jaw. “She fought to break free of indoctrination...”

“Then she was far stronger than most.” Javik put in.

“Yes... she was.” Shepard said with a nod of regret.

“Indifference is the distinction between you and the Reapers. Their indifference gives them power. You must all harden yourselves if you wish to fight them.” Javik growled at the sentiment, his eyes locked on and narrowed at the turian. “In my cycle, we believed the turians had a fighting chance if we were not successful. They were a proud race of warriors. Savage in many ways, but effective. I see now – you have become soft, weak to your emotions. It will be your downfall.”

“ _We_... are _not_... cold-hearted savages! You might wanna remember that... next time you cross my scope.” Garrus snapped, barely holding his position in the sudden burst of anger.

“Do you _ever_ stop preaching about becoming cold and unfeeling, boy? _Goddess_... you Protheans are enough to give a person an aneurysm!” Nana snapped in cold anger.

“People are _dying_ down there. We _can't_ ignore it. If we do, we're no better than the _Reapers!_ ” the commander growled at Javik with a faint red flash deep in her eyes.

“This brings back so many horrible memories...” Liara sighed and put a hand to her brow. “ _Goddess_ – what if Thessia faces the same fate as my mother? Indoctrination and eventual death?”

“We do what we can... save as many as we can.” Garrus growled, his eyes locked on Shepard, his mandibles pinned to his face in an obvious look of concern.

“Garrus is right. We'll do what we can, but... we need to focus on this mission. Getting the information from that artifact, _that's_ how we save Thessia. It's how we save _everyone_. We finish the Crucible and blow these bastards straight back to hell.” Shepard sounded much colder than usual.

Liara locked eyes with her. Her on concern must have been plastered across her face then. She shook her head. “I'm sorry – I can't be that callous about my _own_ people.”

“Not callous... just hell-bent on making sure even more don't suffer.” Garrus always seemed to have an answer for Shepard's decisions no matter how ruthless they sometimes were.

Liara envied them the connection they shared. It was clear just how in tune with each other they were. She realized that sometimes they even finished each other's sentences. It was the kind of connection she had hoped to establish with the commander. Barring that, she hoped to find it with someone one day.

“ _There_... that's the cold-blooded killer my people saw in yours. You may yet change my opinion of your race, turian.” Javik gave him a cold smile.

Nana stepped over toward the Prothean, a hard look on her face as she gripped her shotgun in both hands. “If you don't _shut_ that hole in your face... I might consider making it bigger... with a shotgun shell.”

“Nana...” Shepard growled a warning at the woman.

“I've had _enough_ of his preaching, girl. Those are _my_ people down there too. More than that... I _trained_ your mate – and I _know_... he's not a killer by _choice_. Every kill he's made – he's made out of _necessity_. This... _Prothean_...” she spat the species name with such contempt it distorted her features into a mask of disgust. “...would have us believe we should _all_ become cold, unfeeling _machines_. Sounds a bit too much like _indoctrination_ to me. You sure he's not tainted?”

“Hey! Buckle up! This one's gonna be tight.” Cortez barked from the pilot's seat.

They came in hot, weapon's fire pinging off the sides of the shuttle. Liara cringed with each zing and got to her feet. The second the hatch opened on her world, her eyes widened in disbelief. It was one thing to see it on a screen. Seeing it in person forced the reality to sink in at FTL.

“This _can't_ be happening!” her voice was practically a hysterical cry to her own ears as she followed the team out of the shuttle. “My home...”

“Looks bad, but we can't stay up here!” Garrus shouted over the noise of gunfire.

“There's no time to mourn. We're exposed!” Javik snapped.

“Let's go, people. We have to move.” Shepard growled as she drew her pistol.

“You must be Commander Shepard!” came the yell of a nearby asari as they made their way down to the walkway below.

“That's right...” Shepard nodded as she came within range of the blue woman.

“Commander, we'd heard....” her words were cut off by an explosion and flying bodies as a great hole erupted in the barricade. “ _Dammit!_ The barrier's been _breached!_ Commander, we'll talk later. Get on that gun up there and do some damage!”

Liara watched as Shepard nodded and bolted toward the gun turret in question. The commander fired up the weapon and started taking out as many Reaper-spawn as she could. The asari took note of Garrus taking up a position near his mate and picking off whatever got by her with his assault rifle. Nana did much the same on the opposite side with her shotgun.

Javik simply stood by watching them. It irritated Liara as she stepped in to help shore up the breach. She glared at him from time to time until she saw him draw on the odd green power that passed for Prothean biotics. He threw several large blasts out past the breach with merely a faint grunt for each.

“Enemy targets on the bridge!” came Kurin's shout as several husks crawled up over the railing and charged toward the barricade. “Hold them back!”

There were brutes creeping out of the crevasses left by the rubble around the bridge. Most charged the barricade itself, while others charged toward the gun turret. Garrus swapped his assault rifle out for the black widow and Liara realized he meant to snipe those targets.

Wave after wave of husks and brutes seemed to flow toward them. Shepard and Garrus picked off the majority while the rest took down what they could. The battle seemed to take days to Liara, hours at the least, but she knew this was only the beginning.

Finally the Reaper-spawn stopped coming for several long minutes and Shepard stepped off the gun turret. She headed toward Kurin as the other shouted orders. It was clear Shepard meant to talk to the woman now.

“I want that gunship prepped and in the air!” Kurin ordered sharply. Her next orders were a shout. “Plug that hole!”

“We're on it!” came the confirmation of a trio of asari already working on a patch.

“Someone get me a location on our snipers!” the woman snapped as she walked through the small field outpost.

“Yes, Ma'am!” came another call as yet another woman ran off to do her commanding officer's bidding.

“Commander... I'm Lieutenant Kurin. We've been told to expect you. My orders are to hold this grid at all costs.”

More explosions rocked the bridge even as the woman spoke to the commander. They both looked up to see a harvester figing rockets at their location. Those bounced off the biotic shielding the asari had in place harmlessly.

“Shore up the barrier!” Kurin pointed and yelled at anyone left to move. Her attention turned back to Shepard quickly after that. “Our parameter's collapsing – and I'm getting my people out of here.”

“What exactly were told about me?” Shepard demanded.

“Nothing but your name. Mission details were classified.” Kurin grumbled. “Which just means we'll die without knowing why.”

“This comes from the highest levels of your government. They can't risk a leak.” Shepard snapped. It was clear to Liara that the commander was through with the weaker willed woman.

“Standing here dying three at a time is risky too.” Kurin barked. “Care to give us a reason?”

“There's an artifact inside the temple... we need it.” Shepard gave her a fraction of the information they all hoped would ensure her cooperation.

“ _That's.._. what this is all about?!” Kurin demanded as she closed down her omni-tool. She moved off toward the gunship hovering nearby. Shepard followed her. “One of our outposts has been trying to reach the scientists, but we lost contact. I'm sorry, Commander. If your relic has lasted this long, it can wait a little longer. I've lost enough people today.”

“No!” Javik growled and moved toward the asari. Before she could react, he gripped her arms and began reading her. “I sense you have the lineage of a leader. A warrior's skill and cunning – they are strong in your genes. But you've grown tired of war, you're exhausted by defeat, and now you worry you don't have the courage left to go on.”

Kurin broke the contact by shoving him away viciously. “By the goddess... are you?”

“If we don't get to that temple, Lieutenant, this will be the last you ever see of Thessia. You're witnessing the extinction of our entire race. _This is the end_.” Liara reinforced what Javik had been trying to accomplish.

“And you really think you can stop all that from happening?” Kurin paced away from them and turned back, a look of horror on her face.

“We're building a Prothean super weapon. It will _win_ this war!” Shepard informed her.

“Prothean?” Kurin asked, glancing between Shepard and Javik. “You're race?”

“Yes.” Javik nodded. “I am the last.”

“I believe it...” Kurin said, the awe clear in her voice. “You really think it'll work?”

“It's the only chance any of us has got.” Shepard breathed. The commander almost sounded exhausted, maybe even a little desperate to Liara.

“This is Lieutenant Kurin, hold your positions. I want a path carved to the temple. Outpost Tykus, we've got people coming your way.” Kurin nodded and touched the implant near her ear. A moment later, she headed toward the barricade and glanced at her troops. “Let's make sure the galaxy knows the war was won on Thessia! Make it count!”


	7. The Retreat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The secret Nana has been protecting was safely hidden away on Thessia... until the Reapers came.

Before Shepard and her team could move past the gap in the barrier, Nana stopped her. “I'm staying here, dear.”

“ _What_.. why? I thought you wanted to 'chase these bastards off your world'.” Shepard turned and asked as the woman remained at the edge of the barrier.

“And I do, but... there are a few things I need to see to first.” Nana gazed across the bay to her right and pointed at the buildings near the Reaper's feet. “I'm needed _there_.”

“That's _crazy_... _look_ at that thing! You won't get within fifty meters of it!” Garrus snapped as he stepped up to the woman's other side and waved a hand out at the Reaper across the bay.

“Get that gunship moving! The Justicar needs transport to the Retreat!” Kurin yelled as she moved toward the hovering gunship again.

“I have no choice... _you_ know that.” Nana started to move off toward the gunship and glanced back. “Keep your mate safe, _Archangel!_ If I'm successful, I'll meet you both back at the shuttle.”

“ _Dammit.._.” the turian breathed in obvious frustration.

Nana ran up to the gunship and hopped up on the wing closest to the bridge. She did not spare them a backward glance as she the canopy opened. Instead, she lowered herself into the seat behind the pilot. Only then did her eyes return to the team moving into defensive positions along the bridge. They had roughly twenty yards between them and the temple. From the resistance she saw swarming the bridge, those twenty yards could take hours to cross. She had time and she wished them well.

The gunship jolted as it lifted off, the canopy closing over them. It took them a matter of minutes to reach the outskirts of the Reaper's firing range. The gunship swooped and dodged the beam in a dance of strategy and death at its pilot's command. Nana was impressed, the girl was proving to be an excellent pilot. She only hoped that skill continued to bail them out of trouble once she had what she had come for.

They reached a section on the other side of the island from the Reaper and set down. The giant mechanical monster did not seem interested in a single gunship that had not fired upon it. It turned its attention deeper into the city. Nana was out of the gunship the second the canopy raised.

As she ran down the wing and dropped to the ground, she turned back to the pilot. “Wait for me as long as you can!”

“Yes, Justicar!” the pilot snapped formally, the scars on her face crinkling with the expression of determination.

With a nod, Nana turned and ran over the rubble of the destroyed street between dark buildings. It was hard going. The terrain was desperately uneven and her prosthetic foot seemed to catch in odd places along the way. She prayed the goddess had preserved the Retreat. What she had come for was precious no matter how it had come into being. She had entrusted its safety to the matriarchs of the order that cared for those few within the Retreat.

Taking the shortest route, Nana vaulted over the ledge of a broken window into a darkened building. This building was perhaps three or four city blocks from her destination. The road between was completely destroyed. Rubble from the upper sections of the buildings had collapsed to block her path. There was no alternative but to make her way through the build. She almost wished one of the team had come with her. Something nagged at the back of her mind that she might have bitten off more than she could chew here.

“No turning back now, girl. You're here. It's time to pull that T'Loak determination out of your ass.” she grumbled at herself under her breath.

A noise to her left drew a gasp from her and she ducked behind a shelving unit that leaned against the wall. Hauling her shotgun over her shoulder, she glanced around the edge and all but threw herself back into cover. One of those abominations the humans called a Banshee stumbled past. It sniffed the air, clearly attempting to track her. Somehow she was not sure it was truly aware of her presence.

Nana held her breath and after a moment, the creature moved on. It disappeared into another room and the asari waited several more minutes before moving from cover. Once she did, she moved quickly toward the door the Banshee had come out of. The moment she passed through it, she keyed the lock on the flickering holo-display. It might not prevent the creature from coming after her, but it would certainly slow it down.

With the sun setting, the room before her was dark. She missed seeing the husks until they were screaming and almost on her. Her shotgun was not enough to hold them off. Instead, she was forced to toss out a shockwave to destabilize them. The noise drew the attention of the Banshee in the room behind her.

“ _Dammit!_ ” Nana swore and extended both omni-blades. “We do this the hard way then. Come on, you Reaper bastards! Let's dance!”

Nana threw herself at them, slashing and stabbing anything that got close enough to her. Black blood spattered across the floor, splattered the walls and poured at her like rain as she tore through them. She sent trickles of biotic energy dancing along her omni-blades just to ensure each strike was a killing blow.

When it was done, she stood on the other side of the room breathing heavily. Her blades dripped with Reaper blood and she wondered if she had the stamina to continue that kind of fighting all the way to the Retreat. She realized she had no other option. It was just her out here. She had told no one but Garrus what she was here for. Nana doubted even he realized that was what she had come to Thessia for. He knew of her secret, but he did not know where it was hidden precisely.

Now, she made her way through the next door that she hoped would take her out to the street once more. The moment the door opened, she wished a thousand times it had not. Her eyes locked on the Brute before her, its back still turned toward her and her mouth fell open. She did not see any way around the beast.

“ _Dammit.._.” she breathed quietly as the turian/krogan mash turned toward her and beat its chest.

The space between buildings was tight. The brute lunged at her and she dropped, sliding between its legs. She was on her feet in an instant, her foot planted firmly in the wall. Kicking off the wall, she flipped over the brute, shotgun aimed downward at the spindly neck. She fired both barrels as she extended the omni-blade on her left. Doubling her fist, she sank the blade deep into the crumbling wall.

The brute raged and charged at the wall. It shook, tiny rocks and dust dislodging and raining from it, but held. She was barely beyond the monster's reach with her side against the wall, one foot pressed to it to hold the position. Her eyes locked on a window just a few feet away in the next building. It was one of the few still intact in the buildings around her and it was the closest to her position.

Taking a deep breath, she grasped the dark energy of her biotics and kicked off the wall. She threw out a shockwave in an effort to 'bounce' off the brute to reach the opposite building. The creature roared as she threw herself across the gap and threw that window. Glass shattered and rained into the room around her.

Kneeling there for several seconds, Nana took the time to reload her shotgun. It was of no use to her empty. _Well, that's not really true, now is it? It makes a wonderful club, but I don't intend to get that close to these bastards_.

Once locked and loaded, Nana was on her feet and running through what had clearly once been someone's apartment. She did not care to linger. If a stray clip or heat sync caught her eye, she meant to grab it. Even another gun might be worth it. Goddess knew she would give herself a crash refresher course in the use of a variety of guns if she must.

Nana stopped before she reached the door that clearly lead out of the apartment. Her breath caught at the asari child before her. The child was beyond help. What had been done to her... the human husks came to mind at the sight. There were two dead asari not far from her to the left. The child hissed and advanced a few steps. Her features were already beginning to elongate like the banshee she had seen in the last building. She realized this husk stage her in own people must be the precursor to becoming a banshee. As far as she knew, the process had never been witnessed nor had it been conducted on one so young.

The husk-child hissed again and ran for Nana. Nails extended, features distorting and scream changing as she ran. Nana let out a strangled half cry and fired her shotgun at the child's head. She did not wait to see the girl drop. Instead, she jumped over the slumping body and rushed out the door. Once in the hallway, she barely noticed that the entire side of the building had been sheared off. She retched her breakfast out into open space. A moment later, she sagged to her knees and simply breathed for a moment.

Nana was no stranger to taking life. She had done so many times as a Justicar, but never that of a child. True, the girl was already virtually dead. She knew that, but it had not made the choice... or the action any easier. Sitting there on her knees for a moment longer, her breath caught and she shot to her feet. Renewed determination flooded her body with her species equivalent of adrenaline. She would not see the Reapers do that to her charge. Part of her knew it might already be too late, but she meant to get to the Retreat and soon.

Moving along the unstable walkway that had once been a hallway, Nana looked for a way across to the next building. The wet sand color of the building told her she had reached the Retreat itself. It still looked mostly intact. Power flickered within its windows, but she knew that was likely from a generator. The Reapers were destroying the power grid. She could hear the giant machine's roar. The ground shook with its footsteps. She knew she was too near it, but there was no choice now.

Backing up against the wall behind her, Nana took a running jump at the building before her. She narrowly caught the ledge of an unbroken window with her fingers. Hauling herself up took an act of will. Her muscles and joints protesting the whole way. She was forced to headbutt the window in order to break the glass. It cut her forehead, but she ignored it as she flipped inside the building.

Second floor, she needed the third she realized as she stepped into a run. This building was much different than the last two. There were asari in the hallways frantically grabbing up children and fleeing the building. She hoped they made it out and away from the Reaper. There was no time to ensure their safe escape. She needed to find her charge.

The elevator was not working, the holo-display was red with an exclamation point in the middle of it. She ran for the stairs and took them two at a time. The building shook, dust rained down at her as she climbed. The lights flickered and she used the railing to haul herself up to the next door.

Bursting through that door, she was bombarded by chaos. There were asari running everywhere. Nana ran down the hall to her left and charged into one room. She stopped, mouth open in shock as she came face-to-face with Samara. The shock evaporated with the next shudder of the building.

Reaching out for the bundle in the other Justicar's arms, she waved her hands. “Give her to me, Sam. Help the others.”

“You are a most welcome sight...” Samara gave her a faint smile and a sigh of obvious relief. She stumbled forward as the building shook.

Nana took the bundle and looked the child in the eyes briefly. She laid a hand on Samara's shoulder with a nod. “Go, girl. I've got the baby.”

“Take the child to Shepard. She will undoubted wish to protect her daughter.” Samara said before turning to run after a group of fleeing asari and children.

“Shepard...” Nana sighed and shook her head. “I have to get you to her first, Lydera... Shai'ra better be glad she can't answer for her crime against the commander. Poor thing, you're innocent in this.”

The building shook and the Reaper roared that much closer. The asari child – little more than an infant in reality – wailed in distress before Nana covered her head with the blanket. Better that the child did not see the hell the elder was about to run through with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since asari have such long lives and are not considered sexually mature until around age 40, I calculated the growth and stages of their children based on that. The child mentioned in this chapter is equal, in development and growth, to a 1yro human child.


	8. Nobody's Young Anymore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This war was wearing him down fast. Garrus, like Liara, wished for an end to it.

“I was here – years ago.” Liara said as the gap in the barrier was sealed behind them. “To see the city burning like this...”

“It can be rebuilt. Just worry about the next 20 meters.” Shepard said, sounding colder than usual.

The team moved forward several feet and were forced to duck into cover by the explosions from the air. Glancing upward, shielding his face from the rain of falling debris, Garrus growled at the sight. “Harvesters... damn...”

“This has to end!” Liara all but whined.

“Find your resolve. This war _can_ end if you do.” Javik grumbled as he moved into cover.

“Stay angry! You'll need it to get through this.” Garrus snapped.

“The turian is correct. Draw strength from your anger. It will keep you alive.” Javik chimed in.

Garrus glared at the Prothean. The longer he spent in the man's company, the more he realized he really did not like him. He sincerely hoped this one Prothean was not an accurate representation of his entire race.

“Remember that – cause _here they_ come!” Shepard grunted as she hauled herself up onto a divided section of the bridge. Shepard ran forward into cover once she was up on the next section of the shattered bridge. “Standard approach! Try to use cover!”

Garrus followed her hand signals and found a good spot to snipe a few of the approaching enemies. Ugly, that was what they were and he was tired of seeing them. This war was wearing him down fast. So much stress, so many bullets and so many people converted into monsters. He could not help but wonder... who was next? What new horror might the Reapers spawn? There was only one thing in that line of questioning he was sure of; he did not want to know.

Shepard leaned out slightly from cover to throw a shockwave out. It destabilized the Marauder and the husks several meters away. He picked off what he could even as they began running in their direction. When bullets failed him, he palmed a couple of spent heat syncs and charged them. Dropping them into the secondary barrel he had added to the black widow, he lined up the shot.

“Firing concussive shot!” he yelled before the deep base of the heat syncs leaving the barrel rattled through his bones.

“ _Push them back!_ ” Shepard yelled as she left cover and ran toward the enemies, her pistol flashing as she fired on those few still standing.

The Marauder went down when the heat sync exploded in its face. Garrus tried not to think about him being turian or perhaps someone he might have served with. The Reaper-spawn were dead things that would kill them if they did not put them down first. That was how he _had_ to see them.

The instant the last of them went down, he scanned the area with his visor. Nothing, no targets appeared. “Looks clear!”

“Then move! Get off the bridge!” Shepard snapped as she darted out of cover and ran for the other end of the bridge for all she was worth.

Garrus, Liara and Javik followed her. They headed into the smoldering building at the end of the bridge and ran over crumbling debris. It was not an easy way through, but it was all they had.

“When we fought the Reapers, they turned our own children against us.” Javik commented as they saw the Harvester attacking a group of asari.

“I can't imagine that.” Liara said in horror.

“They assumed we would hesitate to kill them.” Javik continued quietly. It almost sounded as if he regretted spilling this particular information.

“Did you?” Shepard asked, sounding disgusted with the man.

“What answer would you prefer?” Javik answered with a sarcastic question of his own, a sneer on his face.

“I... think... we're _done_... with that particular... _horror_ story.” Garrus snarled as he pushed passed the Prothean. He hated hearing about children being used, abused or murdered. It just rubbed him the wrong way and left him ready to kill the abuser.

“Yes, let's stop talking about this.” Liara said in shock.

“I have to agree with that idea. War is hard, we don't need to make it harder on ourselves with the idea of murdering... children... indoctrinated or not.” Shepard snapped and followed the turian.

“On that building! We've got fire support!” Liara noted the asari with the assault rifle firing on the Harvester as it attempted to land.

“So much for your 'fire support', asari.” Javik growled as the Harvester blasted the woman and flew off.

“ _No! Damn them!_ ” Liara raged before glaring at the Prothean. “Damn _you!_ ”

“I have done nothing to deserve your damnation.” Javik snapped.

“You might want to... I don't know... shut the hell up.” Garrus moved in close to the Prothean and hissed near the side of his head.

“Or what, turian? What will you do? I am your best hope of recovering the information locked within this... artifact.” Javik growled low at him.

Shepard was glaring back at them all. They noticed her and closed their mouths. “You done? Because if you're not... I'll leave you here, Javik. I can retrieve the information myself.”

“That's right... you have the _cipher_. Any Prothean technology in the temple will recognize _you_ as Prothean.” Liara brightened.

“That's right.” Shepard smiled coldly as she put her pistol in Javik's face. She grimaced as a glowing red line opened up along her jaw, but she held her ground. “So... again... Are. You. Done?”

“Yes, Commander.” Javik answered sounding sufficiently chastised.

“Good. Now let's get into this temple and get what we came for.” Shepard nodded and dropped the weapon from his face.

“These things are slaughtering my people!” Liara gasped as she ran for the railing and fired at a Banshee on the level below.

“Keep your focus, Liara!” Shepard barked.

“Then you give it back to them twice as hard!” the turian growled as he took cover behind that railing. He wanted Liara to realize being soft was not going to help her through this destruction.

Garrus was beginning to really worry about Shepard, however. She seemed so much colder in this mission. He thought maybe seeing another world facing the same fate as Earth... as Palaven... was having a terrible affect on her. He knew for a certainty that it was cranking his stress level through the roof. When her jaw split open, he had no doubts just how stressed his bondmate really was.

Gunfire, screams and the roar of distant Reapers filled the last hours of daylight as they made their way across the complex. Garrus realized they must be in the rectory of the temple even as he took out another Marauder. He noticed several Cannibals moving along the planters below.

“Keep an eye on the parameter!” he shouted as he shifted his position and took one of them out with a clean headshot. “Scoped and dropped!”

Shepard threw out a singularity a moment later when he indicated more clustering around the downed creature. It caught them and sucked the air from their mutated lungs. They went down hard under her biotics.

“Oh, goddess...” Liara breathed as she got within a few feed of a pod. “What is _that?_ ”

“Back away from it! That's rachni!” Garrus shouted as he palmed a single heat sync. The second he had it glowing, he ran forward and tossed it at the opening pod. “Get down!”

A split second later, it exploded and scrambled the little monster within, splattering it across the floor of the complex. Even Javik seemed to appreciate that little piece of strategy. He was nodding with a smug look on his face.

Garrus swore under his breath. He knew exactly why the Prothean had that look on his face. The man was calculating the so-called 'cold-blooded killers' that the turian race might once have been. Javik was beginning to really get under his plates.

“More of them ahead!” Garrus barked as he ran forward and tucked himself behind a column.

“They just won't stop!” Liara all but wailed as they continued forward.

The turian could not help but agree with her on that. It had been much the same on Palaven. He suspected the same was true of Earth. That might explain why his bondmate was in such a foul mood. This was affecting her so much more than he had ever guessed it might.

Shepard threw a warp out at something she must have thought was a cannibal or a husk. Instead of going down, it let out a mechanical series of sub-harmonic rumbles. He knew in that moment exactly what it was. The Marauder peeked around the corner of its cover and fired its weapon at her. The commander grunted and threw herself back into cover.

Garrus caught sight of the smoldering hole melting into her left rerebrace as she did. The hole was just below her pauldron. It would have affected her aim if that had been her right arm. As it was, he knew it might affect the accuracy of her biotics if she cast them with that hand. _But that's the idea, isn't it? Disable the enemy before you take them out. Not today._..

The turian did not wait before he ran toward the Marauder. He heard Shepard yell and ignored it as he whipped out his combat knife. A moment later, he dove at the Reaper-spawn and buried the blade deep in its throat. With a firm yank backward, he all but decapitated the creature.

Scanning the area, listening for Reaper sounds, he noted that his visor was no longer tracking local targets. “Clear!”

“ _Are you crazy?_ That was reckless...” Shepard raged at him as they came out of cover.

“And ruthless – fitting of turian combat at its most savage.” Javik chuckled.

“That door ahead... it seems like that's our way out of this mess.” Liara cut off whatever Shepard might have said as she stopped before a railing and pointed at the door in question.

The scream cut them all off and snapped their heads toward the door. Garrus was the first to call it. “ _Damn!_ More of those mutated asari up ahead!”

Shepard wasted no time in tossing a warp at the Banshee. It screamed and writhed as Garrus took a headshot. The round punched cleanly through it's eye and it went down hard. He hoped there were no others behind it.

More gunfire snapped around them from a Marauder they had not seen. They scrambled to drop behind the railing and Garrus growled at the onslaught. “They really mean business, don't they?”

“Alright... let's get moving before more of them show up.” Shepard grumbled as the last one went down. She vaulted over the railing and dropped to the fountain below.

Garrus followed close at her six as she ran up into the twisted doorway. The place was shattered inside, floors uneven, broken and jagged. They were forced to climb over debris and rubble as they went. The only thing that kept them all going at this point, was adrenaline and he knew it.

“I still can't face those – things.” Liara whispered. “My own people.”  
“No one ever said the Reapers played fair.” Garrus soothed as best he could. He knew exactly what she was feeling. He had faced down a good many of his own mutated people. “They hope to break our morale by turning our own kind against us.”

The next door was locked and Garrus moved forward to hack it. It proved simple enough, but still seemed like military encryption. It opened on what might have been another courtyard, but he could not be sure. There was so much destruction here, twisted girders, flames, debris. It all made up a rough path.

“Above us!” Liara yelled even as they all heard the roar of the Reaper.

“You look at something like that – and you wonder where all the good in the _universe_ has gone... because it sure isn't here.” Garrus grumbled as he got a good look at the side and underbelly of the Reaper moving through the buildings.

Garrus took note of their surroundings quickly, his visor tracking possible targets. There were not many. A cannibal below that Shepard hit with a warp the instant she saw it and a group on the left. His visor pinged their weapons, tracking the trajectory of their shots. It painted them as friendlies.

“Head to the left. Snipers on the balcony.” he called as he vaulted over the ruined railing before him.

“They're asari. We might be able to reach them.” Liara suggested as she moved around the shattered edges of the railing.

“Glad that Reaper didn't stop....” Garrus breathed as he glanced up and saw the giant machine continuing along it's path of destruction. “No thresher maws on Thessia to take that bastard down.”

Catching movement to his right, he nodded to Shepard as she vaulted over the railing and headed down the crumbling debris field. He caught the faint flicker of red in her eyes and frowned faintly. This mission was taking a serious toll on her. He hoped they made it to the temple soon. Retrieving that data might mean the difference between winning this war and losing. They all knew that. He knew that was the reason his bondmate was pushing so hard through this.

Shepard moved ahead them and was thrown back by a blast that hit the balcony. They all heard the dying yelp of an asari even as the commander regained her footing. At least one of the snipers was down, but they could hear the other making her report to the outposts.

“What about Shepard?” the transmission was scrambled, but he recognized Kurin's voice from earlier.

“No sign of her.” the other said and glanced back at the sound of footsteps. “Wait... Shepard just arrived.”

“Watch your heads!” the asari yelled and gave them all a hand signal to duck.

“How long can you hold out?” Shepard asked as she tucked herself against the shattered railing beside the commando.

“Now that you're here... as long as it takes!” her answer seemed enthusiastic. “Can you really win this war?”

“We get to that temple – and the Reapers are history!” Shepard answered forcefully as she picked off a couple of cannibals with her pistol.

“Then grab the gear over there, if you need it – and let's do some _damage!_ ” the asari growled.

“Feels like a killzone!” Garrus grumbled as his visor painted targets everywhere. Reaper-spawn were dropping in from everywhere at once. The only sounds any of them heard were growls, snarls, gunfire and explosions. It was not a symphony the turian cared to hear again any time soon, but he knew this was not over yet.

“ _Don't let up!_ ” Shepard shouted as she switched from her pistol to her own sniper rifle.

Garrus narrowed his eyes at the Reaper-spawn below and let out a reedy hiss at the sight. He understood exactly why she was no longer slinging out biotic attacks; Marauders. They were resistant to biotics in a way his people never had been. It had something to do with the modulating kinetic shields they employed, he was sure of it. Leveling his own rifle on the edge of the railing, he picked one off cleanly before reloading.

“Outpost Tykus isn't far from here. I can cover you! Go!” the asari snapped the second the last of the Reaper-spawn was sucked into Shepard's singularity.

“Toward the Reaper... it's a way out of here.” Liara said almost breathlessly.

“You suddenly feeling lucky, T'Soni?” the idea of running under that Reaper was dreadful. The fact that Liara had suggested it was almost laughable to Garrus. That laugh managed to color his question in sarcasm.

“No choice.” she snapped at him.

They ran toward the Reaper and Garrus realized she had meant the one across the bay. He breathed a quiet sigh of relief at that. The turian had not wanted to get so close to a Reaper's feet again. Not as close as he had been on Palaven, for a certainty.

“This nightmare never ends.” Liara complained as they got a good view of the destruction across the bay.

“The hell it won't! We get to this artifact and we can all wake up.” Shepard snapped in determination as she vaulted up onto the rim of the fountain they had come to.

“Drinks will be on me...” Garrus growled. His next words were a breath of near exhaustion. “It's been so damn long in coming.”

They climbed the teared fountain clear to the top, up to the next level that looked much more intact. Garrus was sure they must be getting close to the temple. As they vaulted over the railing, a blast threw a running asari at them. She was thrown across the floor and rolled to a stop. Barely a heartbeat later, she was grabbing her gun and climbing to her feet again. They took cover with her beneath another teared fountain.

“We're trying to reach outpost Tykus.” Shepard said to her.

“You're lookin' at it!” the girl snapped as she gripped her assault rifle desperately.

“What about the rest of your squad?” the commander asked with a slight frown on her face.

Garrus could almost see despair keeping into her features. He hoped never to see that, not on _her_ face. If Shepard subsumed to despair... where did that leave the rest of them? His primary duty to her, bondmate or not, was to ensure her confidence. At least that was the role he had taken on when he became her unofficial second in command so many years ago. It almost seemed like centuries some days.

“They're all dead. We tried punching through to the scientists, but... I'm all that's left.” the girl stated as she squeezed her eyes shut.

'Girl' seemed very accurate for this asari. She was young, younger than he had been when made his first kill. Garrus glanced behind him, out at the bay... At the Reaper tearing through the buildings across it. _Nobody's young anymore..._.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's to hoping I didn't kill any of my readers with the last chapter and it's bombshell... lol.


	9. Entering the Temple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Next time we go to war, maybe the Alliance can spring for air support.” Liara grumbled. Shepard would have laughed under different circumstances.

“What about reinforcements?” Shepard demanded. There had to be someone. This could not be all they had.

“We had gunships flying in support, but things got too hot with that Reaper. They can't chance it.” the young asari shook her head.

“I know it's rough, but I don't see another way in without their help.” Shepard barked. There was no thinking this through. Either they got to that temple or they lost everything. The key to the Catalyst was in there.

“Have I told you how much I hate this war?” the asari snarled before touching the implant near her ear. “Talon Swarm, this is outpost Tykus. Is anybody left on this frequency? We are in need of immediate air support. Commander Shepard is here.”

“Copy! This is Talon One. I'm on the way.” came the quick response.

“Talon Five, inbound.” came another response.

“Ground targets confirmed.” Talon One stated as they heard the ships flying in close by.

“Weapons are hot!” came Talon Five's reply.

“Light 'em up!” ordered Talon One.

Glancing around their cover, the team saw the Reaper-spawn dropping under gunship fire. It was a glorious sight to behold. _Now if the rest of this goes as easy, we might actually stand a chance at winning this thing_. It was a hope Shepard clung to desperately. She hoped the others had not noticed the momentary slip of her 'commander mask' earlier. The stinging split across the left side of her jaw told a tale all it's own, however.

“Talon One, watch the jamming!” Talon Five bellowed as the gunship's weapons froze up.

“I'm hit!” Talon One shouted suddenly as the gunship spun out of control. “The stabilizer blew out! _Oh goddess.._..”

The ground shook as the gunship crashed and exploded just beyond the barrier. The other gunship kept firing, taking down Reaper-spawn as quick as they exited the building beyond. “This is Talon Five. Whatever you're gonna do, you better do it now.”

“Go, Commander! I'll cover you from here!” the young asari called as she climbed up onto the fountain and fired a gun that seemed almost as big as she was.

“Commander Shepard, I've got your back.” Talon Five confirmed over the comm.

The gunship continued to fire even as they all heard the screams of a Banshee. Liara threw out a biotic blast and the mutated asari screamed in obvious anger. The gunship fired on it, but was unable to take it down. _These bitches are tough_. Shepard refused to voice that sentiment, but it was true nonetheless.

“Missiles away!” Talon Five snapped seconds before two missiles hit the Banshee with explosive force.

It screamed and crumpled under the assault. The Marauders were easier. They did not have biotics as a general rule. On occasion she had seen one or two that did, but it was a rarity among the turian race. Glancing at Garrus, she thanked whatever deity might listening for her bondmate and his gifts. Somehow she knew he was much stronger than even he knew. Something was bound to trigger that coming flood of biotics she could sense in him. It worried her exactly what that trigger might be, however.

“Keep it up, Talon Five!” Shepard encouraged as she managed to move from one cover to the next. The gunship pilot was tearing through the opposition hard.

“I think this pilot is my new best friend.” Garrus snarked as he moved along with the rest of the team.

“I can agree with that.” Javik put in. It seemed, at least for awhile, that he had taken Garrus up on the idea of keeping his mouth shut.

“That's it for the missiles. Switching to the gun.” Talon Five informed them.

“Next time we go to war, maybe the Alliance can spring for air support.” Liara grumbled.

It was rough going, but they managed to climb up the shattered tears of the fountain leading up to the next building complex. As they came up onto a level section of fountain, splashing through the water, the gunship followed them. The pilot was picking off whatever she could along the way.

“More hostiles heading our way!” Garrus barked as he tucked himself behind a broken off column. “Crap... Harvester inbound.”  
“Bogie in-coming. Hang tight while I shake him.” Talon Five said as she clearly saw it as well.

Shepard did not wait. Instead, she motioned her team to move the second the Harvester flew out of sight. If nothing else, Talon Five would prove the perfect distraction for a moment or two. _Give it a good chase_. That was really all they could hope for with one of those.

They managed several yards before two more Harvesters flew into view. That did not bode well for Talon Five, but she could not worry about that now. The things came in and landed quickly.

“Looks like the Reapers have air support too.” Garrus grumbled as he shifted deeper into cover himself. “Hope that pilot...”

The rest was lost as he took a hard hit from one of the Harvesters. Shepard snarled and threw everything she had at the winged monster a few yards away. “ _Keep your head down!_ ”

Liara was at his side in an instant. She pulled him into cover with her as the commander continued to bombard the Harvester in white-hot anger, ammo and biotics. The moment it fell and exploded, she ran for them.

“How bad?” she demanded as she dropped into cover with them.

“I don't know. I don't know _anything_ about turian anatomy.” Liara snapped.

“It's not bad... just stunned.” the turian grumbled and shook his head to clear it.

“He did not take a direct hit. The blast was deflected by the column.” Javik barked as he moved past them.

“Talon Five back in position! Let's punch a hole!” came the gunship pilot's voice once more. The pilot kept firing on the Harvesters until one of them turned and fired on her. “I'm in trouble! My shields just took damage! Talon Five, going down! Repeat, Talon Five... going down!”

It was clear from the suddenly cut off scream and explosion that it was not a soft crash. The gunship exploded upon impact. Shepard closed her eyes briefly. That pilot had been good, her targeting even better. The Harvests went after her, clearly intending to finish the job.

“So _much_ sacrifice! We _have_ to make it worth something!” Liara growled, there were tears running down the asari's face as she fired on Reaper-spawn and kept moving.

“Looks like we're in the clear. Let's get inside.” Shepard yelled as they came to the entrance of the temple. She waved her arm at the rest of her team, indicating they should follow her.

“If they'll let us in. Looks like a security lock down.” Garrus growled as he looked the barrier over carefully.

“Yes.... It appears the temple has been barricaded.” Javik grumbled as he too looked the barrier over.

“Let me take a look.” Liara said and moved toward the lock. She began tapping out keys quickly. “It's military grade encryption.”

“Do religion and military always mix among asari?” Javik asked as he looked beyond the barricade toward the interior of the temple itself.

“No.” Liara said softly as she continued attempting to crack the lock. “I can't crack this. It's too sophisticated.”

“Let me see what I can do with it.” Garrus said as he stepped toward her. “Wouldn't expect this for a temple.”

“Especially since few still follow the Athame doctrine.” Liara noted.

Shepard watched as the asari stepped aside and nodded. Garrus tapped a couple of keys slowly and glanced at the data feed. Barely a breath later, his fingers were flying over the keys. His visor flashed and his fingers danced over a few more keys before the barrier dropped. “That's it. All clear.”

“Hello? Is anyone there?” Liara called. They all knew there were supposed to be scientists on site.

“Doesn't feel right. The scientists should be here.” Garrus whispered harshly as he moved along behind them.

“Something is wrong. There is a – tension – in the air.” Javik agreed.

“Take a look around. Maybe one of these artifacts is what we're looking for.” Shepard nodded toward the museum-like temple. Moving to the front of the temple, to the feet of the statue of the goddess, she noticed the bodies to her right. “I'm guessing these are the scientists.”

Garrus knelt down beside them, carefully turning one of their heads with a single finger. “Take a look at their throats...”

“What happened to them.” Shepard asked, stepping in closer and getting a good look at the gaping gashes across each woman's throat.

“They've been slit.” Liara said, eyes wide in shock or disgust. “The Reapers didn't do this. We're going to have to figure this out on our own.”

“Whoever did this could still be here....” Garrus noted quietly as he glanced around the vast room.

“Who's that supposed to be?” Shepard asked as she turned back toward the towering statue.

“The goddess Athame herself. It's a relic of the old faith.” Liara answered as Garrus paced around behind them.

“Awful lot of trouble for a dead religion.” Garrus commented as he came to a stop beside the asari.

“I admit, this does seem rather elaborated – even by _our_ standards.” Liara stated as she made brief eye contact with him.

Shepard was fading out on the rest of what Liara was going on about. She was being pulled toward the statue, or rather, something within it. The feeling was familiar on a profound level. Then it clicked... Prothean, without a doubt. It felt like the beacon on Eden Prime.

“There's a Prothean beacon here....” Shepard gasped as she stumbled and gripped the display before the statue.

“ _What?_ You're sure?” Liara asked in shock.

“It's not something you forget.” Shepard snapped as she got her bearings once more.

“But why hide it?” Liara asked in disbelief.

“From what you've told me about the one on Mars... these beacons are a mother load of information.” Garrus said and looked to Liara with an expression of suspicion pinned to his face. “Worth keeping quiet about.”

“Your people are hoarding the knowledge of my race for their own gain.” Javik sneered and moved away from them to examine another artifact.

“That can't be. I can't believe my people would keep this a secret.” Liara denied the obvious.

“This sword... Your people claim it to be the weapon of your goddess. The race who sought to plunder your world for it's vast resources were called the oravores. _We_ protected you from them. This sword is simply a _representation_ of that battle.” Javik said, indicating an ancient relic in the rough shape of a sword.

“You protected..? But... then Athame...” Liara seemed staggered at his comments.

“Athame is an imaginary figure. Look at her on this inscription. Do you not see the Prothean in her visage?” Javik pointed at the segment of wall standing beside the statue. He shook his head at her clear lack of acceptance. “There is more to your history than you know, asari.”

“What you're implying... it's staggering.” Liara all but gasped.

“A beacon like this would explain why the asari are so advanced.” Shepard attempted to keep the accusation out of her voice. It was a losing battle even though it was clear that Liara was completely in the dark.

“You did say this temple was thousands of years old, Liara. That's a lot of time to study it.” Garrus stated, his brow-plates drawn downward a fraction.

“That doesn't make it true... any of it.” Liara snapped, glaring between the three of them.

“But think about it... a scientific breakthrough every couple centuries and your people would be running the galaxy.” the turian paused and glanced back at Shepard. “Which... they pretty much do.”

“If the wrong people had gotten their hands on this, who knows what could have happened. I can't say I completely agree with the decision to keep it quiet, but... It might have been the right call.” Shepard sighed and shook her head. She knew they should have shared it. The idea nagged at her. “Still, they should have shared those 'breakthroughs'. We might not be in the situation we're in now.”

“If it _is_ true... I'd like to think my government was at least careful about it.” Liara stated seeming a little more comfortable with the idea now.

The commander let out a sigh at that. “Maybe too careful. No one's left to tell us how this works.”

“That is simple. We must reactivate the beacon.” Javik stated as he walked toward the fragment of wall to the right of the statue.

“How?” Shepard asked with a faint frown.

“Like this...” the Prothean touched the fragment and a matrix of light erupted from it. It shot toward the statue abruptly and the statue cracked.

“By the goddess – literally...” Liara breathed and took a couple of steps backward.

“Look around. There must be more of these connections.” Shepard said and moved off to the left.

“Incredible.... the beacon seems to think you're Prothean, Shepard.” Liara commented as she gazed between the commander and the statue. “It must be the cipher you got back on Ferros years ago.”

“Don't remind me...” Shepard released a grumbling sigh.

“Or it could be the Prothean standing next to you.” Javik sneered in clear, open contempt.

Garrus glared back at the Prothean. “ _You..._ weren't close enough to the statue... to start the activation process... That was Shepard.”


	10. Losing it All

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus is much stronger than he realizes.

“To think... victory over the Reapers all comes down to this. Find what we need, finish the Crucible and the war's over.” Garrus growled it out. It would be such a relief when this was all over. He definitely meant to retire somewhere well away from anything even remotely military once it was done.

The moment Shepard stepped close to another artifact, a beam shot from it toward the statue and more cracks marred its surface. Garrus felt the tingle roll across his plates, under them really, or some ancient power. It was like a deep thrumming set of sub-harmonics that reverberated through his entire carapace.

“I can't believe this... Janiri, Athame's Guide... He _can't_ be a Prothean artifact.” Liara gasped out as the beam shot from the bust.

“And you don't see the resemblance? He was no servant of an imaginary goddess. He was _Prothean_.” Javik grumbled.

“Feel that? The beacon's powering up.” Garrus drew closer to the bust. As he looked between Liara and Javik, he began to wonder if they actually felt it.

“It seems each connection provides more power to the beacon.” Liara speculated.

“Bet even your scientists never got this far.” Garrus could not help answer her speculation with some of his own. He realized it must be true. The statue of the goddess had been unmarred when they first arrived.

“They could not. They were not Prothean.” Javik grumbled.

Shepard glared back at him with a disgusted sigh at that. It was becoming clear she was sick of hearing him. Every word out of his mouth was Prothean this or that. They all knew he viewed them as primitives no matter how advanced they were now.

“This is a fragment of Athame's Codex. It speaks of her guide, Janiri. He taught us to farm the seeds given by the goddess.” Liara stated as they approached a page encased in glass. “This doesn't seem to be a connection, however.”  
“We didn't want you to starve.” Javik grumbled.

Glaring at him, Liara moved on toward a larger piece toward the rear of the temple. Shepard followed close on her heels. It was odd to see the commander deferring to anyone's authority, but the asari knew this place. It made perfect sense that the commander would take her word on the the pieces here.

“The shield of Athame... Legend says she protected us when the heavens grew angry. Our ancestors probably misinterpreted a meteor shower.” Liara said of the artifact that suddenly sent a renewed burst of energy at the statue at Shepard's touch. “How can this be another activation point?”

“Clearly this is encoded with Prothean technology. Your 'meteor shower' – was an asteroid strike. We deflected it.” Javik commented.

Garrus rolled his eyes. He knew he should be used to the Prothean's abrasive attitude by now. What he really wanted to do was to shove that shield into the man's mouth. Maybe then he would be quiet. _With all those teeth.... there's a good chance he'll just chew through the damn thing.... and keep talking.... Spirits!_

“You mean... the Protheans? But that would imply Athame...” Liara was still having trouble grasping exactly what it was Javik was actually saying.

The turian eyed them both critically. He knew exactly what Javik was saying; the Protheans were the embodiment of the asari goddess Athame. There was no question that the ancient asari had confused Prothean interference with 'the hand of god', as it were.

“Is not what you believe her to be.” it was the first gentle tone they had heard from Javik.

“Doesn't look like we're done yet.” Garrus noted the difference in the feel of the atmosphere around them. It did not quite feel like the room on Virmire had when they had stumbled on that beacon.

“I don't think that's it. Let's move on.” Liara said of the next page they came across. She held her hand up to stop him when Javik began to speak. Surprisingly, he closed his mouth.

“Pretty clever operation they have here... for asari.” Garrus noted, glancing sideways at Liara with a faint spreading of his mandibles.

“I _heard_ that.” Liara grumbled and he could not help the snicker that rolled across his tongue.

Shepard moved toward another page, more a fragment of stone and reached out toward it. Garrus felt as much as heard the powering up of some vast 'machine' as the beam shot from it. The whole place seemed to shake as the beam shot toward the statue. The entire top of the goddess cracked dangerously under the stress.

“The activation is complete. We can access the beacon now.” Javik almost sounded excited.

“We need to hurry.” Liara said even as Shepard jogged up to the foot of the statue. “This place isn't going to... last very long...”

Garrus inhaled sharply at the green orb that released itself from the statue. It was a wonder it did not shear off the already damaged monument. He watched it drift down toward the floor between them.

“Obtaining chronological marker. Hold. Time scale established. Post Prothean cycle confirmed.” it rose up and scanned the general area before settling back down at around eye level. “Reaper presence detected. This galactic cycle has already reached its extinction terminus. System shutting down.”

“Not so fast.” Garrus breathed in an effort to stop the VI.

“We need answers!” Shepard demanded as the system stalled.

“To what question?” the VI asked as it zipped up right into her face.

“The Catalyst... what is it?” the commander's voice was cold. “We need it to finish the Crucible.”

“One of our computers. A memory.. of one of my people.” Javik said as the VI took form. A faint smile touched his lips at the sight.

“A Prothean.” Liara gasped.

“Or at least a dead one... Remember Vigil?” Garrus had his eyes locked on the VI as it took shape fully.

“I am called Vendetta, an advanced virtual construct of Pashek Vran, overseer of the project you call the 'Crucible'. He died fighting the Reapers in the battle of Tranbir Nine. Your remaining time is also at an end.” Vendetta pointed at Shepard.

“Were all Protheans so grim?” Liara complained.

“What happened to the Crucible in your time? Why didn't you deploy it?” Shepard asked as she circled around the VI, getting a better look at it.

“We were sabotaged from within. A splinter group argued that we should dominate the Reapers rather than destroy them. It fractured our order of battle. Later, we discovered the separatists were indoctrinated.” Vendetta explained.

“Sounds familiar.” Garrus said, glancing at Shepard. His thoughts went first to Saren and his insane notion of merging organic and tech. Those thoughts flashed to the Illusive Man and his increasing insistence on controlling the Reapers. There were times the turian still kicked himself for even considering suggesting they save the Collector base. It had almost felt like a compulsion to insist upon that idea.

“I always suspected as much.” Javik nodded as if some great mystery of his cycle had just been solved.

“And now we're facing the same problem.” Shepard sighed.

“Our study of past ages led us to believe that time is cyclical. Many patterns repeat.” the VI suggested as it shifted it's form into a map of the galaxy.

“Like the Reaper attacks.” Shepard nodded in understanding.

“And beyond. The same peaks of evolution. The same valleys of dissolution... The same conflicts are expressed in every cycle, but in a different manner. The repetition is too prevalent to be merely chance.” Vendetta showed them the repeating patterns on the map.

“We assumed the Reapers were responsible for the pattern.” Liara breathed.

“Perhaps. Though I believe the Reapers are only servants of the pattern. They are not its master.” the VI stated as it returned to its Prothean form.

“So who _is_ the master?” Shepard asked cryptically.

“Unknown. Its presence is inferred rather than observed. The only certainty is its intention... Galactic annihilation. You now stand at that precipice.”

“There's still hope for this cycle.” Shepard held her hand up to stall the inevitable. Her voice almost sounded desperate to convince the VI... or was she trying to convince herself? “We need to know what the Catalyst is. Trillions of lives are at risk.”

“Trillions of lives are always at risk. But if the Reapers have arrived to end your cycle, this discussion is too late.”

“What about the Crucible? We're building it right now! We can _break_ this cycle... if you give us a chance!” Shepard was clearly at the end of her patience.

Garrus suppressed the gasp at the red flash in the depths of her eyes. _Please,_ _ **please**_ _try to stay calm._.. They could not afford to have her collapse now. He knew what could happen if she opened up too many more of those fissures. How many had already opened hidden beneath her armor? He could not answer that question, but later, when they were alone, he would see them.

“The Crucible is not of Prothean design. It is the work of countless galactic cycles stretching back millions of years.” the VI said as it took on the shape of the object in question. “Each cycle adds to it. Each improves upon it. Thus far none have successfully defeated the Reapers with it.”

“Then _we'll_ be the first... Tell us what the Catalyst is.” Shepard insisted softly.

“Listen to the human. She can be trusted.” Javik insisted.

“I detect you are one of us. You are Prothean.” the VI stated as it walked toward Javik.

“The last. I am the final hope to avenge our people.” Javik growled.

“Your mission was known to me. Do you believe the present cycle can deliver retribution?” the question was simple enough.

“They have earned the right to try.” Javik replied as if it were some sort of code.

“Please... just tell us what we need to know.” Shepard pleaded.

“Very well. If you have followed the plans for the Crucible, I will interface with your systems and assist with the Catalyst to...” the VI paused and turned toward the doorway. “Indoctrinated presence detected. Activating security protocol.”

Shepard shielded her eyes against the bright light suddenly pouring into the temple. Garrus followed her gaze and growled audibly at the figure walking down the aisle. He reached for the pistol on his hip.

“ _You._ ” Shepard growled and drew her own pistol as the man stopped a few feet away. “ _You_ killed the scientists. What do you want?”

“Your attention.” Kai Leng said smoothly as he pulled a comm sphere from somewhere in his armor. “Someone would like to talk with you.”

As the gunship disappeared and the light faded, the Illusive Man materialized via the portable QEC unit. “Shepard...”

“How did you find this place?” she asked coldly as she put her weapon away. It was of no use against a QEC image.

“The Archives. Or did your Shadow Broker miss that one?” TIM asked as he turned his attention to Liara.

“Show yourself. I promise, I won't miss.” Liara threatened, the hatred in her voice making it so much colder than Garrus had ever heard it before.

“Stick to your talents, Dr. T'Soni. You've helped uncover the key to subjugating the Reapers.” TIM purred as he walked right through Shepard to the VI hovering behind her.

“Or destroying them.” Shepard said as she turned and walked toward him, stalling his hand from touching the green orb.

“ _Dammit, Shepard!_ Destroying the Reapers gains us nothing!” TIM snapped as he turned and paced, glaring at her.

“How 'bout peace?” she growled at him even as he stopped before her.

“They're just trying to control us. Think about it. If they wanted _all_ organic life destroyed, they could do it.” he paced with a nod as he continued. “There would be _nothing_ left.”

“What the hell are you talkin' about?” Shepard demanded as she leaned right into his virtual face.

Garrus thought he might have encouraged her to deck him, but since he was not really there... He thought better of the idea. It would serve no purpose.

“I _know_ them, Shepard. I know how they _think_.” TIM admitted, as if that was some great surprise.

“I think you've gotten a little too close to the enemy.” Shepard grumbled.

“Sounds like... he's got a Reaper _girlfriend_.” Garrus snarked. He could not contain that long at all. It was too much to resist.

“No. I'm saying they've got it _right_. Why _kill_ when you can _control?_ ” TIM shook his head. He completely ignored the turian's comment.

“The _Reapers_ have it _right?_ Are you _completely_ off your nut?” Shepard waved him off angrily. “You're indoctrinated! You're doing _exactly_ what they want!”

“I could say the same of you.” TIM stared her down then, his voice grew softer. “Wasting time on a war that can't be won.”

“At least I'm fighting!” Shepard snapped.

“We fight or we die... I don't see a lot of options.” Garrus growled from his position.

TIM jabbed his finger at her then. “Never question my ability to fight! I've been fighting them longer than you can imagine. And don't assume you _know_ me. My methods for dealing with the Reapers are simply more refined than yours.”

“You've forgotten everything you stood for! Cerberus was supposed to be humanity's sword not a dagger in our back.”

“Poetic, but as usual, you miss the point. The world is more gray than you care to admit.” TIM nearly laughed in her face.

Garrus glared at Kai Leng. The man was pacing back and forth restlessly behind them with his sword drawn. Clearly he was gunning for a fight. The turian was more than ready to give him one. He stood his ground however, unsure how this might play out.

“I can _end_ this conflict... for _all_ of us!” Shepard barked at him. “The information locked in that VI... that's all I need... Are you _with_ us, or _against_ us? There are no _shades of gray_ in that choice!”

“No, I suppose there aren't.” TIM nodded and walked toward the human behind them. “Leng, the commander has something I need. Please, relieve her of it. And then bring me the data.”

“Understood.” Leng said as he grabbed the portable QEC from the air. He whipped his sword around fast enough to whistle through the air as he took on a fighting stance.

“Crap.” Garrus snarled as he took to cover, swapping his pistol for his sniper rifle.

Shepard fired a couple of rounds at the man and he called the gunship back via his comm to cover him. The commander jerked with the first shots that hit her shields and rolled into cover.

“ _Get to cover!_ ” her voice was crystal clear.

“You've had your fun now, Shepard.” Kai Leng growled as he ran forward. “It's a pity the good ones never last.”  
“That what you thought about Thane?” she growled at him.

“The reptile... yes, he was a worthy adversary. A pity he went down so fast.” Leng laughed.

“ _Fuck you!_ ” Shepard snapped as she fired her pistol at him.

“There's only one way this ends” Leng said, ramming the tip of his sword into the marble floor.

Garrus saw it coming, but was too far away to help. Leng ran at Liara and hit her, knocking her into Javik. The two went down hard a few yards away. Shepard vaulted over one of the displays and ran at the man. She fired on him, but he deflected the shots with a biotic field.

“Target the supports.” Leng said, touching the implant near his ear to call the gunship.

Shepard started running for the VI even as the gunship fired on the columns scattered around the temple. Garrus tried to reach her, but he was on the far side of the room. He fired on Leng as he ran.

One column came down badly and the floor began to crack. Shepard ran across it, clearly hoping to find steadier flooring as it began to cave in. The turian's breath caught, his eyes widening as he tried to make it to her. He reached for her just as the floor collapsed.

“Cerberus thanks you for all your hard work.” Leng sneered as he headed toward the VI.

Garrus scrambled toward the commander even as the section of floor she was clinging to disappeared into the hole below. _This isn't happening... I can't lose her like this, not now!_ His eyes turned toward Leng and he let out a snarl. “ _You'll pay for this!_ ”

Leng held off the bullets with his biotics as he collected the data from the beacon. Garrus switched to the spent heat syncs, charging them and throwing them at the man. Nothing was working. His anger and grief were bubbling over with no real release.

After a few charged tosses, he ran out of heat syncs. He charged after the Cerberus operative then, shucking off his gloves to expose his talons. “ _I'll tear you apart with my bare hands, if I have to!_ ”

Leng turned and fired a pistol at him before he took off running toward the exit. Garrus raced after him, dodging what he could. A few pinged off his armor. There might have been one or two that connected with flesh, but he barely felt them.

The human was much faster, unnaturally so. In a fit of grief, Garrus let loose a cry of rage. He pulled at his reserves of biotic energy, everything he knew he could tap... and then he pulled more. Focusing that into his hands, he realized it might be his end if he cut that loose. He did not care. If Shepard was gone, there was no longer a point to his existence.

The moment his hands felt as if they might burst into flames, he thrust them forward, aiming at Leng's back. The biotic blast was clumsy, but it hit the human squarely between the shoulder blades. It was nearly as strong as some of Shepard's attacks. Garrus sank to his knees as he the man fell and skidded forward several feet. He lay there, still as stone for several heartbeats before rolling back to his feet. A piercing turian keen ripped the air as Leng continue running for the gunship. The blast had done some serious damage by the severity of his limp, but it had not been the killing blow he had hoped for. _Now... now... I've... lost everything.._.


	11. The Fall of Thessia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thessia is falling, thanks greatly to the interference of Cerberus.

Shepard clung to the slab of flooring and worked her way up. She heard Garrus and she heard gunshots and the running feet. There was no doubt her bondmate was chasing that bastard. His footfalls were heavy, thundering through what remained of the temple. She heard the charged heat syncs exploding one after another along the way. It was just Garrus against Leng. She had seen the others fall before the human.

The commander struggled to pull herself up to the rim of the shattered floor as Leng passed her. She managed to get a grip on the edge just as Garrus cut loose a massive biotic blast at the man's back. The dispersal of energy and the thundering of running feet must have added to the instability of the structure. The slab of floor dropped away beneath her, nearly taking her with it. She barely caught the edge of the unbroken floor with one hand. _Oh god, this is it, isn't it? This is how I die.._. The panic was real as her fingers began to slip. She glanced down and could not see the bottom.

“Shepard! Hang on!” Liara panted as she appeared above the hole.

The asari grabbed her wrist and one of her pauldrons. The small woman began pulling her up. She heard a gasp and running feet again just seconds before Garrus appeared beside the blue woman. The haunted look on his face, the shadows in his eyes... she knew she would never forget that look of pain so long as she lived. He reached for her other hand as Liara pulled for all she was worth.

Shepard got a grip on his forearm and helped them to pull her up. The second she was up, she ran toward the fleeing Leng. Grabbing up a dropped pistol along the way, she fired on him and the gunship in vain. Some part of her hoped against hope that she might do just enough damage to bring that bastard down. It was not enough, she realized as the ship flew beyond the reach of her gun and she stopped, lowering the weapon. It was a heavy blow, the loss of that data.

“....anyone on this frequency?” came Kurin's voice across the comm and Shepard frowned past the lump in her throat and the clenching pain in her chest. “This is Lieutenant Kurin! My squad is trapped!”

The decision was seconds in the making only. Losing that data was a heavy blow, but it was not the end of the war. “This is Shepard! Give us your location!”

“I repeat! Is anyone on this frequency?” Kurin clearly could not hear her.

“We read you! Give me your – ” Shepard began again as her team surrounded her.

“The lieutenant's down! Our whole zone is collapsing!” came the voice of another soldier. “What happened to Shepard? Did her team make it to the temple?”

“I saw them – wait, I've got a Reaper inbound!” came another voice she thought she recognized as the young asari from Tykus outpost. Her screams were more pain than fear as they heard the roar of the Reaper.

Looking up, Shepard saw several of them descending toward the bay. She gritted her teeth at the sight. Nana had gone to those buildings across the water. There was no way of knowing if she had made it back to the shuttle. No way to know if she was even alive.

“Please! Is anybody there? I – Oh goddess. No!” came the cries of yet another soldier falling to the enemy.

Garrus put a large three-fingered hand on her shoulder and she, flinched, shifting away from him in distress as she watched those metal monsters destroying Thessia. She turned away from the sight, unable to maintain the 'commander' mask in the face of so much loss. The frown on her face seemed almost mask enough, carved in stone as her eyes passed over her team. This was not their fault. They had all done everything right, everything possible.

“Shepard! This is Cortez! We're on the move!” came the pilot's barking voice as she began walking toward the rear of the temple. “I need LZ coordinates to pick you up!”

Shaking her head faint, Shepard rested her hands on the plaque at the feet of Athame. She let out a shaky breath even as the screams of the dying carried across the bay to them. The roar of the Reapers and the rumbling destruction of buildings in their path shook the ground faintly.

“Shepard! Come in!” Cortez sounded desperate now.

“We're in the temple. I'm sending coordinates now!” Garrus snapped when it became clear Shepard was simply going to stand there.

“ _God_... I'm glad to hear your voice. I thought...” Cortez breathed.

A moment later, they heard the sound of the Kodiak coming in toward their location. It touched down as Liara and Javik were heading toward. The asari supported the limping Prothean as they boarded.

“We have to go, Shepard.” Garrus said softly near her right shoulder. She did not move. “Shepard...”

After a moment, she glanced up at him and nodded. The frown never leaving her face. It was the only anchor she had in that inner storm. It had taken the place of the 'commander' mask when that facade had suddenly shattered in the face of defeat. This was not her first loss, but it was certainly the hardest so far.

Finally, she released her death grip on the plaque and took a staggering step away from it. Garrus was there to support her. He said nothing, simply guided her toward the waiting shuttle. She felt another split open up along her cheek and ignored it as she rushed into the shuttle. The turian followed her inside and hit the button to close the hatch. She collapsed into a seat, head in her hands as she listened to the rush of atmosphere against the hull.

No one spoke for several long minutes until the cooing sounds of a baby filtered to her ears. Raising her head, she glanced up toward the sound. Her eyes found Nana sitting along the rear bulkhead with a very young asari child in her lap. It's movements reminded her of the movements of a human baby of maybe a year old. She realized the size was about right too. The child was drooling and staring at her, eyes the same color as her own locked to her face.

Shepard's analytical mind began picking out details then rather she wanted them or not. The child's brow and cheekbones matched her own. The rest was very clearly asari and familiar, delicate. A name came to her as she studied the child's face; Shai'ra. She looked like the asari Consort... and yet... it felt as though she were looking into a mirror. It clicked then and she let out an unsteady breath, tearing her fingers through her hair as she gripped the bun.

“Nana...” her voice cracked, but she did not look up at the asari. “...who's is she?”

“Shai'ra's.” a simple answer, confirmation of what she already suspected.

“ _And_...” she needed the name. The other parent and the circumstances, she _needed_ that information.

“Shepard... dear.... I don't think....” Nana began.

Shepard shot to her feet and completely tore her bun down, hair cascading around her shoulders as the pins clattered to the deck plates. Her voice was cold as a blizzard, quiet with a deadly edge. “ _Who_ is the other parent, Nana?”

“She's yours, Shepard.” Nana cringed at the stricken look that crossed the commander's face. “What Shai'ra did... it was a _crime_ , dear. This child is innocent.”

The shuttle touched down and the hatch opened on the shuttle bay. Shepard shook her head and all but fled the shuttle. No sound escaped her. She hit the call button for the elevator and hurried inside the second it began to open. There were things she needed to do, calls to make, orders to give. Command had never felt like such a burden until that moment. It was one thing to have an entire galaxy depending on her success. Her bondmate had added a bit more determination to that equation. Now she had a child depending on her, _her_ child. She might never have know the kid existed if they had not needed the information on Thessia.

Rushing through the CIC, she ignored the eyes locking to her. She ignored those in the war room as she passed through it as well. The QEC, that was where she was headed. Tevos, she meant to inform the asari councilor of the situation as soon as possible. There were things that needed done to ensure this was not the end of the asari entirely. She could at least provide the details. The other woman could handle the rest.

Getting to the QEC was easy enough. Opening that blinking comm light... not so much. She leaned against a support beam just trying to breathe for a moment. Finally, she pushed herself off it and stepped over to the railing. Hitting that button, she leaned on the railing as if it were the only thing holding her up. In a way, it was more an anchor to reality.

There was so much interference when Tevos evolved in the lighting matrix of of the QEC. She barely made out what the woman was saying. She seemed almost desperate.

“Commander?” the static cleared for a moment and the asari's voice was crisp, the note of desperation clear.

“Councilor, the mission – ” Shepard began. She did not know how to deliver this kind of news.

“We've lost all contact with Thessia... the planet has gone dark.” the councilor's transmission flickered, her voice laden with static and digital garbage. It cleared a moment later. “How soon will the Crucible be ready to deploy?”

“Councilor... I... I wish the news was better. We didn't _get_... the information.” Shepard could barely look her in the eyes.

“What happened?” the note of desperation in the asari's voice ratcheted up a couple of octaves.

“Cerberus was there. We were...” the commander shook her head. “We were defeated. We don't know how to finish the Crucible.”

“I... don't know what to say.” Tevos was pinching the bridge of her nose in distress. Clearly that action was universal. “What was the situation on Thessia?”

“Deteriorating fast. The Reapers are there in force.” Shepard answered simply. Simple answered were all she had right then.

“Then you'll excuse me. There are... preparations to make... continuity of civilization to consider...” Tevos seemed just as lost as she felt. The asari's voice was cracking. “I never thought this day would come.”

“None of us did. I'm...” Shepard said softly. Before she could finish the last, the councilor disappeared from the QEC. “... _sorry_.”

The moment she turned and left the QEC, the assault began. EDI headed that bombardment of information as she entered the war room. “Asari forces are in full retreat. It is no longer safe for us to remain in this system.”

“Get us out of here.” Shepard ordered as she came down the stairs.

“Shepard. I...” Liara began, leaning on the dais in the middle of the room. “Nobody could have predicted Cerberus would reach Thessia before us.”

“It's my _job_ to be prepared – _no matter what_. And now Thessia's lost... as is the data on the Catalyst.” The 'commander' mask made an attempt at reasserting itself in that moment, barely. The mask shattered an instant later and her frustration came pouring out. “I'm _sick_ _of Cerberus_ beating us to the punch!”

“Let's kick them in the balls first for a change.” James said from the other side of the dais.

Scanning the room, she took note of the senior officers who were present for this impromptu meeting. Poking a button, she closed down the holo-display between them. “I'm with James. Anyone know where they're hiding? _Anyone?_ ”

“Um... well, there is _something_.” came a soft voice.

“Let's hear it, Traynor.” Shepard barked as her eyes found the source of the voice.

“I was able to track Kai Leng's shuttle through the relay and extrapolate his destination.” Traynor explained as she brought that information up in the holo-grid of the dais. “But... the signal disappeared in the Jera System.”

“Naturally...” Shepard let out a disgusted sigh. She knew this was not Traynor's fault.

“It's not just gone though. The signal is being actively blocked.” Traynor noted.

“How?” that was the question Shepard needed an answer to and soon.

“I'm not sure, but something is interfering with all signal activity in that region of space.” Traynor brought up all the information she had on it.

Even EDI seemed to be studying it for a minute. “Commander, the Jera System's home to Sanctuary and little else. Sanctuary is a supposed safe haven for war refugees.”

Shepard glanced back at Traynor and studied the woman's face for a moment. “You think it's worth checking out, Traynor?”

“Yes, ma'am. I do.” Traynor stood a little straighter in a parade rest stance and nodded.

“If Specialist Traynor hadn't examined the data so astutely, the interference would have been undetectable.” EDI noted. It was clear from her tone and statement that she expected Traynor to receive praise for that contribution.

_You're slipping, Shepard... letting this defeat break you. Fall apart later_. Pushing herself off the dais, she nodded to the woman. “Nice work, Traynor. You've given us a shot. Now let's make sure we don't waste it.”

“It's a slim lead. Let's hope it's the right one.” Liara noted softly.

“Slim or not, it's all we've got.” Garrus grumbled from the doorway.

Shepard nodded to him as he entered the war room. It was clear he had heard the last bits on his way in. “I don't care how slim the leads are at this point. We've come too far to let Cerberus stop us. I want that Prothean data. I want the Catalyst. No excuses. Dismissed.”

Shepard stood there for a time. It might have been minutes after the other left, it might have been hours. She could not say for sure. Even Garrus had left her to her own devices. It must have been the look on her face that had given him pause and turned his feet back the other way. She knew there were a couple of nasty fissures open on her face at that point.

Finally, she pushed off the dais and headed out of the war room. She meant to see Chakwas about those wounds. When the elevator opened on the crew deck, however, she found herself heading for the main battery. He was in there, she knew he was. There were calls to be made to his own world. Calls she knew would not be easy, but they needed to be prepared.

Stepping in, she saw him leaning on the console before the tactical map. He looked as downtrodden as she felt. She stepped up beside him and drew his attention with a hand to his arm. “Any word from your family?”

“They made it away from Palaven, out of the Trebia System. It was tight, but they're ok... thanks to Lilfrey's sister.” Garrus stated. They both knew the pair had made it off Palaven, but there had been no more word since.

“That's fantastic!” Shepard smiled, the first in more than twenty-four hours as she drew in close to him. “That must be a weight off your shoulders.”

“It is.” his eyes locked to hers then and she could see the shadow of some new burden there. “Though... this being a war... one burden replaces another.”

Shepard frowned at him and the way he seemed to pace in place. “What is it, Garrus?”

Garrus stepped away from her and leaned hard into the tactical console before pushing himself up again. “I just had to make a tough call with the Primarch. He said our fleets are being _decimated_. So... I advised him to cease all offensive operations against the Reapers.”

Shepard's brows raised at that. She knew as well as he did exactly what that meant. Palaven was lost, or soon would be. “A full retreat?”

“The only way to save Palaven now is to hold our ships back... for the Crucible.” he let out a shuddering breath at that. There was still the data, the loss on Thessia, even the possibility of total defeat to consider. “But... if I'm wrong... then a lot of other turian families won't be as lucky as mine.”

“That's a hell of a gamble.” Shepard sighed. The odds, she knew, were currently stacked against them. “No other options?”

“If there are... I can't see them. It all comes down to the Crucible now.” he sighed.

“And ruthless calculus.” Shepard noted with a tired sigh.

Garrus let out a vocal sigh as he pushed himself off that console. “How you holding up, Shepard? This all has to be taking a toll.”

The look on his face told her he already knew how well she was not doing. She loved him all the more for asking though. Her voice crackled as she answered that question. “There's only so much fight in a person... only so much _death_ you can take before you...”

“Before a certain turian... with no romantic skills to speak of... tries to cheer you up.” he said, wrapping his arms around her as she raised up from the console herself.

“Cheer? Comin' from you? Careful, you're gonna crack your face plates.” she snarked at him. It was a weak effort, but she had to admit, it seemed to work as his mandibles flared slightly.

“Hmmm... mood swings. Don't worry... we'll get through this. We always do.” his voice was a growl.

Shepard wondered... _who's he trying to convince? Me, or himself?_ She realized it did not matter. “I'm heading up to our quarters...”

“I'll be up soon. Still have a few things to take care of here.” Garrus nodded and released her. “I'll bring dinner up.”

“Alright.” she sighed in a noncommittal tone. The weight of Thessia's loss and their defeat was surrounding her like a mantle again. With a nod, she headed out of the battery and into the mess.

Shepard thought about seeing Chakwas over those reopened scars. It was better than allowing them to sit there, glowing, distracting her crew. So she headed into the med bay.


	12. Weathering the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard's resolve cracks and a meltdown is the price she must pay.

“She went straight to her cabin. She's not answering her comm.” Tali's voice carried to Shepard from before the memorial wall as she left the med bay.

Face feeling stiff, she followed the sound, her ears picking up so much more than they ever had. She waited to see who the quarian was talking to. The sigh on the other end was clear.

“How bad?” Garrus asked.

“I've never seen Liara like this. Not even after Noveria.” Tali admitted softly.

“Damn.” Garrus growled. They all knew how bad it had been after they were forced to kill the asari's mother.

“Can you talk to her?” Tali asked. It sounded like a desperate plea. “You've known her as long as any of us. And with Palaven...”

“I'm just another damn reminder of how many people are dying. You should talk to her.” Garrus said firmly even though his voice cracked faintly.

“I just _regained_ my homeworld. She just _lost_ hers.” Tali argued, but there was no fire in her words.

“Well, I don't have any magic words. She just needs time.... Maybe.... call her later.” Garrus admitted the failing of everyone in the galaxy when it came to loss.

“I'll go talk to Liara.” Shepard said softly. She knew the turian could hear her through the open comm.

“Thanks, Shepard.” Tali said with a sigh.

“Go easy on her, Shepard.” Garrus breathed when he clearly realized she had yet to make it up to their quarters.

“You know I will.” she replied before turning back toward Liara's cabin.

Shepard heard Liara before she ever saw her as she entered the room. “I've studied Protheans my entire life. If I'd been shown the beacon on Thessia earlier...”

“You would have needed Shepard's cipher to comprehend it.” EDI said. It was clear the AI was attempting logic to sooth.

“I still could have _learned_ from it.” Liara insisted. Her tone turned bitter with her next statement. “Instead, my mother hid the galaxy's most important archaeological find from me. It must have been such a _joke_ to her when I became a Prothean researcher.”

“The penalties for withholding Prothean technology are among the harshest in Council space.” EDI reminded her. “Your mother's motives may have been simply to shield you.”

“Perhaps. Thank you, EDI. I... hadn't considered that.” Liara said softly. She glanced up as Shepard stopped at the foot of her bed. “ _How_ did this happen, Shepard? My entire civilization, the asari's history... the _Protheans_ made it a lie all along. And I abandoned my people to hunt for the Catalyst!”

Shepard watched her for a moment. She watched the tears silently sliding down the blue woman's face. The commander was not sure what to do with anyone who was crying. She almost never let those kinds of emotions take her. It was not her nature to succumb to them. As a result, she had barely a clue as to how to deal with others in their grip.

So, she did the best she could. “Liara, you had _nothing_ to do with the attack on Thessia.”

“ _Nothing to do with it?_ ” Liara was suddenly raging, her face a mask of distressed anger. “I told those people on Thessia we'd _save_ them! How many asari died... because I demanded their help?”

Shepard sat the edge of the bed then and put a hand on the woman's shoulder. Her voice was stern. “None.”

“Shepard, that isn't true.” Liara locked eyes with her then.

“You've been warning your people for _four years_ , Liara.” Shepard growled as she stood again and began to pace. “There's not a _damn_ thing you should feel guilty about. If we move fast enough, they'll have a chance to survive this, to start again. We _lost_ Thessia, but we haven't lost the asari yet.”

Shepard made it a point to access the woman's terminal. It drew her attention and she crawled off the bed to rush over toward the commander. There was determination in her eyes as she took over from Shepard then.

“Helping the refugees... that's something I can do. It's something I _owe_ them.” Liara said, her tears still flowing, but slowing.

“I knew you'd think of something.” Shepard nodded.

“I still need some time, Shepard, but... thank you.”

The moment she headed for the door, she knew she needed to head up to her cabin. Those emotions she had held at bay over the last hours were beginning to avalanche around her now. She needed quiet, seclusion... a place to fall apart where no one would see it. The crew did not need to bare witness to their commander's meltdown. It was coming, she knew, she could feel it. She pushed the thoughts of that asari child Nana had brought on board to the back of her mind. That situation was under control for the moment. The rest of it was spiraling very decidedly out of control.

Shepard cleared the mess hall to the elevator at a jog. One member of the flight crew, who's name she had never caught, stopped and saluted her. She blew by him and hit the call button for the elevator.

The commander barely kept a handle on her emotions as the elevator climbed through the Normandy. It opened on her level and she practically spilled out the door. The cabin was quiet, no sign of Garrus as of yet. Their co-mingled scent drifted over her like a balm most days when she entered their quarters stressed. It was not enough today. She stumbled around the corner into the bathroom and leaned on the counter.

Glancing up at her own reflection, she stared in horror for a moment. In the depth of her pupils she could see the flicker of red light. Her breath came in a wet gasp. “ _Oh god.... what am I?_ ”

The scuff of a boot carried to her ears then, but she ignored it. Instead, she stumbled back away from her reflection, the emotions she had kept tightly capped beginning to spill over. Wet gasps pulled themselves from her lungs as the cascade of emotions spilled around her.

 _Cerberus_... everywhere she looked, everything she touched.... _Even my own body_. It all carried their mark. If not for Cerberus, they might have gathered the information they needed months ago. If not for Cerberus, they might not have lost Thessia. If not for Cerberus, they might now have the Catalyst.

“If not for Cerberus... _I'd still be dead!_ ” the last was a raging scream as she picked up a soap bottle and threw it at the mirror. Her reflection shattered as she stumbled and sat down hard on the floor.

The door opened and a pair of turian feet came rushing in. The commander could not bring herself to look up at him. Her breath was coming in great gasps as she sat there. She noticed the glowing line across the back of her forearm and dug her nails into it. The skin tore away a fraction, revealing muscle with a line of glowing wire looped over it. Organic and synthetic... merged... within her very body.

The sounds issuing from Shepard were somewhere between ragged sobs and whimpers. She was on the edge of a righteous screaming fit when Garrus came into her line of sight. He was on his knees before her, reaching for her. Her chest felt as if it was about to cave in. She could not catch her breath, as if there was not enough air on the whole of the Normandy. Her eyes locked to his and she saw Palaven burning in them. That haunted look she could not quite place... that was the look of a species orphaned by their own world. It hit her like a blow to the gut.

 _Earth, Aratoht, Palaven, Thessia... the path of destruction. The Reaper's path..._ _**My pat**_ _ **h** _ _... My fault for not trying harder to convince the Council. My fault for not being fast enough. My fault for not being ruthless enough..._ _**My fault..** _ _._

Garrus reached for her and she backed away. She scooted across the floor until she hit the wall. He followed her. She smacked his hands away as the odd sounds continuing to escape her increased in volume. He ignored the feeble hits of her open hands as he wrapped one arm around her. The turian ignored the closed fisted punches to his plated chest as he wrapped the other arm around her and drew her to him. He effectively pinned her flailing hands and arms between them.

The cry that erupted from her lungs then expelled every molecule of air from her body. Throat clicking with the strain of still trying to scream, she attempted to push away from him. Her fists bunched in the fabric of his tunic on either side of his cowl, the knuckles turning white before she was able to suck in another breath. She was barely aware of him sitting down and wrapping himself around her as much as his plated body would allow. Another ragged cry tore itself free of her lungs and she buried her face in his neck, just above the lowest section of cowl that met his keel. He rocked with her, crooned, hummed and ran his talons gently through her hair and over her scalp as the weight of every decision pressed down on her. Every action, every failure came crashing down around her as she exhausted herself through the emotional storm. She broke herself against the solidity of her bondmate's plates. He was trying to anchor her to himself as much as she would allow.

Eventually, the storm passed and she released the death grip on his tunic slowly. Her hands cramped as she ran them over his shoulders to wrap her arms around him. He held her tighter and rubbed one hand up and down her back slowly. She drew her face away from his neck to lock eyes with him.

Shaking her head slightly, Shepard searched his face thoughtfully. All she saw there was concern. There was no accusation in the set of his features. Palaven was not burning in his eyes.

Her voice was rough, hoarse and cracking badly when she finally found it. The words that poured out of her were barely more than a pained whisper. “How am _I_ supposed to save an _entire_ galaxy – when I _can't_ save _one_ planet? I couldn't save Palaven and now – Thessia is lost. How... how can you still... _believe_ in me?”

“You're _Commander Shepard_... and... you're my _bondmate_.” Garrus said firmly in a soft tone, his sub-harmonics crooning soothingly. There was deep respect in his voice and sub-harmonics when he said her name. More than that, there was passion in his tone.

“I'm not fit for command.” Shepard said very quietly as she dipped her head down to rest her forehead against the tip of his keel. “I'm not even sure I'm fit... to be _your_ mate.”

“Too late to bail now. Turian's bond for life... or did you forget that part?” his voice was a soft growl as he cupped her jaw and encouraged her to look at him again. “I accepted every part of you... the good, the bad, the strong... _and_ the weak. _This_... is a _moment_... mere _seconds_ of weakness. My plates are strong enough to weather this storm with you.”

She huffed a very faint laugh as one hand smoothed the creases she had created in the fabric over one of his shoulders. “I did hit you pretty hard.”

“And... I _barely_ felt it... You'll bounce back from this. You'll _find_ a way to turn this around.... and I'll be at your side.” Garrus rumbled.

“Not at my six, huh....?” Shepard breathed, a fraction of a smile attempting to curl her lips.

“It is _such..._ a _nice_ six.” Garrus rested his plated brow against her forehead as his hands strayed down and gently squeezed her rear.

“Cocky turian....” she breathed, the storm passing over her as it washed her against the chitinous plates that had taken on so much of her wrath in the past.

“ _Love of my life_...” he breathed firmly as he shifted and nipped her ear lobe.


	13. Quiet Moments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus is concerned that Shepard isn't going to bounce back so fast after that awful meltdown.

Garrus held her there on the bathroom floor until his leathery backside went numb. Shifting a fraction, his right knee let out a crack like a shotgun and Shepard inhaled sharply. He continued to sit there, half wrapped around her, waiting. When she was ready to move, he would release her and not before, no matter how his body protested. She needed him, needed the anchor that he had become. _I'll be_ _ **damned**_ _if I let a couple of kinked joints prevent me from providing what she needs from me._

“You need to get up.” Shepard said softly, her voice rough and hoarse from the cries of her breakdown.

“I'm _fine_ , Shepard. You need me _here_... I'm here.” he said smoothly through the sharp complaints of his knee. He ignored the pain.

Shepard rested her smooth forehead against his plated brow, her eyes still closed for a moment. When she opened them, they seemed clearer. There was a measure of calmness returning to her gaze. The authority she always seemed to carry so easily was still lacking, however, distant at best. Calm was more than he had hoped for so soon. He would take it.

The 'commander' would recover, in time. Her sense of authority would reassert itself and they would chase down that data on the Catalyst. _And if it doesn't?_ The question came to him unbidden and unwanted. He breathed through it and did not betray a hint of it to his bondmate. _You'll have to take command. You've examined the Normandy's crew logs. You know she listed you as her acting second in command. Are you up for that, Vakarian?_ He did not know, but he knew he was not ready to test it. His commander, _his bondmate_ , would recover from this. She would be fine and they would continue trying to win this war.

Shepard shifted a bit in his arms, her left hand coming to rest at the crook of his right elbow. It was then that he realized she was bleeding. A fissure had opened up across the back of her left forearm. It looked as if she had tried to tear the flesh open with those blunted talons humans called fingernails. An open wound changed things drastically. He needed to move. There was medi-gel on one of the shelves to his left. He would need that to treat the wound.

She noticed where his eyes had strayed and she glanced down at her arm with a nod. “Thought I saw wires and circuits in there.”

“We should treat that. Put some medi-gel on it, at least.” Garrus rumbled quietly.

Soft words and quiet tones, that seemed to be what was needed in those fragile moments after her outburst. He did not want to push her over the edge. Rationally, he knew she was teetering on the great precipice overlooking the vast wasteland of insanity. One nudge the wrong way and she might well lose her mind. He would lose her then, to herself, to the downward spiral of self-destruction. It was a thought he pushed firmly away.

“Alright.” Shepard nodded at that suggestion. Still there was no trace of the strong will he had come to rely upon.

Garrus did not move right away. One corner of her mouth pulled upwards slightly in the beginnings of that lopsided smile she always gave him. She shifted and pressed her nose against his before quickly disentangling herself from him. Shepard was on her feet first and offered him a hand up. He took it gratefully and let out a very quiet sigh of relief. He was going to feel the complaints from his knee for awhile. With all the missions and the running since Omega, the fractured spur had never really gotten the chance to properly heal.

Standing over her now, the turian put his hands on her shoulders and looked down at her with a nod of his own. He stepped over to the shelves and grabbed a packet of medi-gel from the medkit she kept there. The packets that were stocked in those kits reminded him of ration bar packs and he tore it open with his mouth plates.

Squeezing the contents out onto his fingers, he very carefully smeared it across the thin jagged tear across her forearm. It began to work almost immediately. And he nodded to himself as he discarded the empty packet.

“You mentioned bringing up dinner earlier...” Shepard said as she glanced at the now bare wall where the mirror had been.

“Yeah.... I'm guessing that's... probably cold now.” he gave her a look that just said 'yuck'. His mandibles set slightly higher and flared a fraction as his nose plates bunched together.

That drew the smile across her face and a flicker of that strong will he was hoping would return. She huffed a faint laugh and caressed his scarred mandible then. “It's alright, lover. We've got ration bars.”

“I... was thinking.... we could... um... watch that vid...” he suggested, stumbling over his words as he watched the clouds seem to part within the depths of her eyes.

Shepard seemed to think about that for a moment before nodding. The skin around her eyes crinkling slightly as that smile returned a little stronger. He was glad to see the expression and what appeared to be the strength of her will returning. She had had him worried there for a little while.

“I should clean this up...” Shepard waved at the shattered mirror all over the sink and counter.

“I'll take care of it... if you'll queue up the vid.” Garrus suggested. Suggestions, he realized, were doing wonders in nudging her back toward something resembling normal.

“What would I do without you?” she asked softly and the smile she gave him then took his breath.

“I'm not about to let you find out.” he growled softly, reaching out to cup her jaw and nuzzle his scarred mandible against her cheek. After a moment, he released her and turned to take care of the mirror shards.

Garrus heard her shuffling around their quarters as he cleaned up the mess. It took him several minutes, but he was efficient with it. It was disorienting to glance up at the wall above the sink and not see his reflection there. He thought they might acquire a replacement the next time they put in at the Citadel. It would drive him nuts otherwise.

Once he was finished, he left the bathroom and headed down the stairs into the main living area. Shepard had put on a favorite tank top and shorts. His mandibles flicked in amusement at the small tears across the middle. His talons had done that during their second night together. She refused to give the shirt up. The fact that she wore it now spoke volumes to how quickly she was recovering from that awful breakdown.

Shucking his own clothing from his body, he sat on the edge of the bed and glanced up toward the model case. She had done as he suggested and the video was waiting to start. Drawing the covers back, he scooted into a comfortable position while tucking a multitude of pillows into key locations.

The moment he was comfortably leaning against the headboard, she tucked herself into his side. Opening her omni-tool, she started the vid and snuggled into him. He had been meaning to watch _Fleet and Flotilla_ with her for some time now, but they just never seemed to make it this far. Never, in his wildest dreams, had he expected it would take a meltdown to get to the vid.

Garrus wrapped an arm round her and she snuggled in that much closer as the opening scene spread across the screen. He had to admit, he loved this vid. The realization struck him that he loved it so much more now with Shepard at his side. They had bridged a near impossible gap and that was the message being portrayed in the vid.

Stomach letting out a grumble, he realized he had forgotten to get those ration bars. Glancing down at Shepard, he was disinclined to move now. His stomach would have to forgive him tomorrow. His bondmate's comfort came first. Her head was tucked against the unplated section of his right shoulder, brow resting against the section of his cowl just above the scarred hole. Her eyelids were drooping and he realized she was already nodding off.

Honestly, he was not surprised at that. _Better if she sleeps it off like a bad hangover. I just hope rest somehow hits the reset switch._ He could not resist the urge to run his talons lightly over her jaw. The action always seemed to relax her. That was what she needed just now. The vid could wait. It was not going anywhere. Eventually, they would watch it together. The important thing now was rest. She needed it and he meant to see that she got it.

The moment her head tipped forward and her eyes remained closed, he sent off a message directly to EDI. Any notifications for the commander were to be sent to his omni-tool for the next eight hours. He did not go into detail. Instead, he simply authorized it with the command code Shepard had sent to his console in the battery so many months ago. She would forgive him later for assuming temporary command under the circumstances.

Letting out a quiet breath, he killed the vid and shifted her gently down into the bed. She might as well have been comatose for all the reaction he got from her as he carefully moved her into what appeared to be a comfortable position. It took him a moment longer to shift himself. He knew he was not likely to wake her, but there was always that chance if his movements were not carefully planned. After all, seven feet of turian took up a lot of space.

The moment he was down, he dimmed the lights with his omni-tool. Wrapping his arms around her, he tucked her close. The only reaction he received from her was a contented sigh as one hand reached up and gripped the rim of his cowl. It was a deep sleep security reaction from her. She had done it since their first night together with no conscious memory of it. His mandibles flared at the action and he draped an arm over her waist.

Letting out a sigh of his own, he curled himself around her and wished fervently that he could get his hands on a turian bed. The softer, more contoured structure would be better for them both. He still could not understand why humans insisted on sleeping on such flat surfaces when their bodies clearly needed more support. One day soon, he intended to replace this flat monstrosity. He knew the instant she slept in a turian bed, she would never go back to a human construct.

Pillows tucked around himself, he drifted. His arms tucked Shepard just a little closer as she shifted, one leg finding a favorite spot just above his hip crest. Under different circumstances, he might have pursued that and initiated intimacy. Instead, he nuzzled into her neck and allowed his mind to relax. No matter how broken she might have been earlier, this was familiar, normal in the last year. She often asked what she would do without him and he always gave her the same kind of answer; she would not find out. That same question haunted him sometimes, but he never asked. He knew how dangerous their mission was. Asking that question of her just felt like he might jinx the whole thing. So he never let it roll of his tongue. Life would have no meaning without her and he knew it. He meant to see they both made it out the other side of things... or died trying. For now, he simply allowed sleep to claim him. Spirits knew, they both needed it after that last mission.


	14. Seeking Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard has made it out the other side of her meltdown. It seems to have affected Garrus more than she would have thought.

The nightmares Shepard had expected did not come. She remembered the awful feelings of inadequacy and failure that had chased her to the captain's cabin. Her own reflection had stared back at her accusingly when she stumbled into the bathroom. She remembered the eyes the most, red and glowing deep within the pupils as if her very soul were already burning in hell. They were the eyes of a monster. She thought that must have been her breaking point. It had all seemed to implode and explode at once.

Through it all... Garrus had been there. She did not remember much beyond hitting him and trying to push him away. Heartrending screams and cries, that must have been her own, filled the blank spaces in her memory. His scent mingled with the scent of salt and water had helped anchor her to reality. The strength of his plates against her hands and his arms holding her tightly to him had been like a tether in the great void of insanity that had tried to claim her.

Shepard remembered nodding off in her lover's arms much later, after the break. She lay there now blinking heavily, her head still on his shoulder. She could feel his pulse just under her cheek. Her own heartbeat was pacing his, staggered just enough as to seem a continuous beat. She smiled faintly at the sounds and nuzzled into the creases between his deltoids. The slightly grainy textures leading into the edges of heavier plating across his chest were course under her fingers. Small plated scales scattered across those thick muscles of his shoulder scraped her skin every so slightly as she shifted.

Garrus inhaled deeply and let out a faint purring tone, the plates and muscles of his chest flexing easily. She still found it fascinating to watch the different textures play against each other and yet work in unison so flawlessly. The change in breathing and heart rhythm told her he would be waking soon. Turian bio-rhythms had proven to be on par with human rhythms.

Shifting enough to see his face clearly, she watched the dim light of the kinetic field just outside the skylight play across his features. He lay on his back, unusual for a turian on a flat surface, with a couple of pillows tucked under his head and neck. His fringe rested bare inches from the mattress with his head tilted toward her slightly. The deepening creases around his eyes seemed softer in sleep and she noticed the scars across his face really were fading, but they would never disappear completely. She knew why he had refused to allow Chakwas to 'erase' them. They served as a reminder. Part of her suspected he kept them to remind himself of the perceived failure on Omega. The other part knew he kept them to remind himself of how close he had come to death. _Maybe he keeps them to remind himself of the risk I took to save him. I'd ask, but I doubt I'd get a straight answer._

Whatever the reason, even with those scars, he was at his most peaceful during sleep. At least until a nightmare seized him. Then he flinched and thrashed sometimes. He was not thrashing now, but she knew whatever he was dreaming must have turned sour. The turian flinched, his left arm coming up over his chest, hand clenched into a loose fist. His mandibles shifted downward and flared slightly as his mouth parted. The breath he took in came out in a low moan of distress as his head shifted on the pillows.

Sitting up on her hip, Shepard shifted around to put a hand on his left shoulder. She gently rubbed the tightened muscles until they began to relax again. He flinched in his sleep again, not quite coming up to the waking world. Her name rolled off his tongue very softly as his brow-plates drew downward. Whatever he was dreaming, it was about her and by the increasing distress, she was fairly certain it was not good.

“Garrus...” she whispered and ran her right hand over his cheek and mandible gently.

He moaned again, tongue licking the inside of his upper mouth plates as he murmured something she did not quite catch. His head rolled toward her hand, but the frown increased. The cracked crease between his brow-plates deepened. His next breath was a sharp inhale and he shot up in bed, eyes open and searching wildly. The second they fell on her face, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders tightly, burying his face against the bondmark. He let out a shaking breath against her neck then.

Somehow, Shepard knew this was how it would be for some time to come after the war, if they made it. One would have nightmares and the other would provide comfort. They would trade off every so often and find solace in the other's arms.

Wrapping her arms around his carapace, she held him until the trembling ceased. She had never seen a turian tremble until those first few hours after the Collector base. Garrus had held her then, much the same as he did now, and simply shook in reaction. His senses had been in complete overload after they had 'blown off steam' in celebration of the victory. The trembling had not lasted long, it never did, but it was enough to create a very faint rattling, almost a clicking sound in the plates of his chest.

The tremors came to a slow halt and he leaned back to look at her. One hand cupped her face, her hair caught between his flesh and hers. His thumb rubbed her cheekbone through her hair and he ducked his plated brow down to meet her smooth forehead. She answered the request without hesitation as his breathing grew easier. This must have been a really bad one for him to become so overly tactile upon waking. He was much more tactile than the average turian, but even he was not as touchy/feely as a human.

“Was it Omega?” she asked softly against his ruined ear pore as she rubbed her jaw against that mandible.

“No.” it was a simple answer, quiet on a faint sigh.

Frowning slightly, Shepard dragged her jaw back against his mandible gently and rested her forehead against his once more. Her eyes locked to his. This close, she could see the faint green striations that cut through that gorgeous crystalline blue. Those eyes were still filled with emotion he was holding back. Was it... fear?

“What is it?” she asked very quietly.

“I... uh... I... _lost_.... you.” he stammered, clearly unsure how to put his emotions into words.

“I'm right here, Garrus.” she said and pressed her nose against his.

The turian closed his eyes and shook his head a fraction. “Dreamed you.... _died_... in _my_ arms.”

“It was just _dream_ , lover. I'm right here... and... unless I'm _terribly_ mistaken, I don't think I'm dead.” she gave him the smile she reserved just for him then and it seemed to dispel the feeling of dread between them.

“No... too warm for that.” he whispered and nuzzled in for a long kiss.

Shepard half groaned, half growled when an omni-tool let out a shrill tone. She broke the kiss with a frown of frustration that turned to a look of curiosity. It was not _her_ omni-tool going off, but her bondmate's. He gave her a sheepish look as he opened it.

“We've received an encrypted message from... _Miranda_.” Joker said through the omni-tool's comm link. He sounded a little shocked.

“Patch it through, Joker.” Garrus said quickly with a look to Shepard.

“.....are you there?” the transmission was almost overloaded with static. “...found Ori! My father...... Illusive Man..... need assistance...... Sanctuary.....”

The transmission cut off abruptly. Shepard locked eyes with Garrus as he closed his omni-tool. He wore a thoughtful expression and she nodded more to herself than at him.

“We have to go to Sanctuary. We risked too much to ensure Miranda's sister was safely out of their father's reach.” Shepard stated firmly after a moment.

“You sure you're up to it?” Garrus asked quietly, barely looking at her from under his brow-plates.

“I don't see another choice. Do you? We were planning to investigate the claims of thousands going missing around the place anyway. Now is just as good a time as any.” Shepard nodded, some part of herself that had been broken during her meltdown seemed to have straightened itself. She noted the relief that seemed to wash over her turian's face at the force of her decision as well.

“Then we go to Sanctuary.” he said and opened his omni-tool once more to key in a few lines of code quickly. It chimed an acknowledgment a moment later.

Shepard frowned, but said nothing. She had seen enough of the code to recognize the command code she had assigned him when she updated his personnel file to acting executive officer. A soft smile tugged the corner of her lips up at him and she caressed his scarred mandible lovingly. She knew what he had done and in his place, she would have done the same. The fact that he had not wasted a second in transferring command back to her spoke volumes to his integrity and trust. The last thing she meant to do, however, was mention it. She knew exactly how much it would take to push him to assume command, even for a few hours. That would explain his nightmare as well, she realized. He might have been dreaming of her losing her mind more than her actual death. Either way, he would have had to be fairly certain she was completely incapacitated, unable to continue or he would not have even thought to assume command.


	15. Message in a Bottle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus is concerned his family might have been directed to Sanctuary when they escaped the Trebia System.

Garrus caught himself watching Shepard for any signs of her earlier breakdown as they geared up. She seemed well enough now, but then he reminded himself of the last twenty-four hours. She had seemed fine up until Kai Leng showed up. It had all gone to hell after that. He was still reeling over his own near break and the powerful biotic blast he had hit the man with. It had drained him until he heard Liara call the commander's name. His species version of adrenaline had taken over then and he found he had the strength to pull her up from the jaws of death.

Now they were in orbit around Horizon. Horizon, where Kaidan had ultimately sealed his own fate. Garrus was certain of that. His rejection of Shepard had been the beginning of a downward spiral that led to his death. The turian still regretted having been the one to pull that trigger, but better than him than Shepard. She had far too much on her shoulders as it was. The woman had not needed the death of a former friend, a former lover added to them. He did not regret taking that decision out of her hands, merely the need for the decision in the first place.

“So... what do we know, Shepard?” he got to his feet and let the breath out slowly as he stopped beside her, one hand looping into the personnel handle above.

The shuttle kicked away from the Normandy and his legs took the shift with a practiced easy he barely noticed. Shifting his weight from foot too foot restlessly, he watched his bondmate closely. He nodded to himself imperceptibly, his mandibles tapping his jaw briefly before returning to a neutral position.

“EDI?” Shepard consulted the Normandy's AI.

“The Sanctuary facility was devoted to aiding refugees from Reaper controlled systems. The facility went offline recently, and no communications have come or gone since.” EDI supplied the technical details. “It is unclear why Kai Leng or Cerberus would be interested in Sanctuary.”

“If there's a clue to Cerberus here, we _find_ it.” Shepard's voice was a cold growl.

It was in that moment the turian knew his bondmate had fully recovered from her breakdown. The anger in her voice sounded almost like a thirst for vengeance. He could not blame her. Leng had cost them the data, but more than that, he had cost them Thessia. If they had gained the information on the Catalyst in the asari homeworld's darkest moments, they might have finished and deployed the Crucible. Thessia might still have fallen, but the casualties would not have been so devastatingly high.

“Ma'am, I'm picking up a signal from the facility. It's weak, but I'll try to boost it.” Cortez interrupted his thoughts then and he glanced toward the pilot.

“This is Oriana Lawson. Stay away from Sanctuary. It's not what it seems.” came the garbled message. “Please, you must listen to me! They're using...”

“Miranda's sister...” Garrus said thoughtfully. He knew from the broken message they had received from Miranda that the other woman was in trouble.

“If she's here... Miranda can't be far away.” Shepard finished with a nod.

“That's our link to Cerberus.” EDI said as if a light had just popped on.

“Maybe...” Shepard breathed.

“Approaching the LZ...” Cortez said quietly as he brought the shuttle in. “Seeing some damage, Commander, but no activity.”

If death had an expression, Shepard must have been wearing it in those moments before the shuttle attempted to touch down. She stepped toward the hatch and glanced back at him and Tali. Her voice was like winter frost when she spoke. “Cerberus does _not_ get the jump on us this time!”

The commander opened the hatch as the shuttle hovered bare feet from the surface. They got their first view of the damage Cortez had mentioned. Crashed shuttles, unchecked fires and debris littered the LZ. It looked like a war zone instead of the safe haven it was claimed to be.

“Damn...” Garrus breathed as he followed his bondmate out the hatch.

“Stay sharp, people.” Shepard said as she drew her pistol.

“Pretty big mess, Shepard... Lots of combat.” Garrus breathed, a pinched expression drawing his mandibles upward and close to his face. He knew thousands had come to this place, some of his own people included. The conditions did not bode well for their survival.

“Yeah, but who was fighting?” Shepard exhaled tiredly as she scanned the debris field before them.

They heard a distant explosion as they moved toward the littered stairs. A mechanical transmission of some kind issued from somewhere nearby as they drew in close to a damaged barricade. The turian's head snapped in the direction he was certain it had come from. Tapping his visor, he scanned for signs of life or movement.

“Everyone hear that?” Shepard asked, a note in her voice Garrus recognized as doubt.

“The radio's offline. Something's jamming our signal.” Tali stated quietly.

“Explains no comms leaving the facility.” Shepard muttered as she moved cautiously through the wreckage.

They made it up the first set of stairs before the first signs of real trouble presented itself. A boom and a shuttle spinning out of control toward the upper level sent a vibration through the cement beneath their feet as it crashed. The Harvester responsible landed on the roof of the facility, aiming downward through the gaping hole at the shuttle.

“We got trouble!” Garrus shouted and took cover behind one of the many damaged barricades. His sniper rifle was already aiming toward the Reaper-spawn.

Another shuttle flew by and before he could fire a shot, the Harvester took off after it. All eyes were trained on the scene. He lowered his rifle, mouth dropping open slightly. The shuttle could have been Cerberus or Alliance, he had not been able to tell.

“A Harvester?” Tali exclaimed in disbelief.

“I saw it!” Shepard shouted and ran from cover, heading toward the next set of barricades. They all saw the figure drop from the level above the instant she ducked into cover. “Phantom!”

“Take 'em out before they get close!” Garrus growled. He meant to do just that. Those females were bad news and Shepard was always their target. That last strike she had taken on Omega from one had been lucky, the sword had missed piercing her abdomen by a fraction.

Shepard threw a shockwave out at the the Cerberus woman and followed it with several shots from her pistol. They all heard the screech when the slugs connected. The Phantom went down hard when the commander slung out another shockwave.

“Sniper! Second level!” Garrus barked as he tracked the woman.

The longer Cerberus waged war against them, the more he realized they tended to use women in many of their covert operations. It dawned on him that human women might be on par with turian women where 'the hunt' was concerned. He glanced at Shepard briefly before lining up a shot with the sniper up above. _Odd, human females are so much smaller than their male counterparts. Could be an evolutionary trait? Smaller, more agile, less threatening? It certainly doesn't work that way with my people. Spirits, some of the women Dad introduced me to over the years were almost twice my size_.

Garrus waited until the sniper made one critical mistake. The second her head rose above the crate, he fired. The shot slammed through her scope and out the back of her head. Blood and brain splattered the wall behind her as she slumped against the railing. That threat to the team, to his bondmate, was effectively eliminated.

“Looks like they were evacuating.” Tali commented as Garrus tapped his visor and waved a hand to indicate the coast was clear.

“ _And_... looks like the Reapers were chasing them out.” it was almost laughable. Cerberus was trying so hard to control those monsters and yet, they were getting caught up in their own ploy. Garrus could not control the flick of his mandibles at the thought.

“'bout time they started killing each other.” Shepard grumbled in obvious satisfaction at that idea.

“If Cerberus was evacuating....” Tali began thoughtfully, looking around with wide eyes.

“Crap....” Garrus sighed and looked up at the shuttle, the logo half burned away. The colors gave it away, however... Cerberus.

“Then where are the Alliance shuttles? Where are the refugees?” Shepard breathed before he could say another word.

“There were refugees from every council species heading here....” Garrus said very softly before he took off toward the shattered doors.

A sense of urgency mixed with a feeling of dread seized him as he ran. A good many of his people had been directed to this place. Practically anyone who escaped the Trebia System. He heard Shepard call his name, but his heart was pounding nearly as fast as his feet. The only thought in his mind; his father and sister. They would have been directed to this place once they were clear of the home system.

The turian stopped cold when the doors did not open directly. He glanced to his left and saw a console. As he approached it, the automated message began to bleat about how Sanctuary was supposed to be a safe haven. He wasted no time in hacking the console and getting the doors open. It was a little surprising that they opened so smoothly given the damage on the level above.

Shepard and Tali caught up to him, but said nothing. He assumed the stressed look on his face said it all, at least to his bondmate. Stepping away from the console, he slipped through the doors as soon as they had opened wide enough to admit his large frame. There were bodies littering the left registration area. Alliance... Cerberus... civilian... Every race that had been directed to this place was represented in the pools of multi-colored blood smeared across the floor.

“What happened here?” Tali breathed quietly.

“I don't know. Come on.” Shepard was equally as quiet as she stepped past him. Her eyes were trained to his face with a concerned frown for a few seconds.

“Cerberus on the move! Came from that tower!” Garrus barked as they all looked up at the sounds of shuttles flying overhead. The skylight revealed several shuttles taking off from a tower a little distance away.

“Then that's where we're headed.” Shepard confirmed what he had already suspected.

Garrus suppressed a growl at the automated system stating that all parties entering Sanctuary were required to give their possessions up for inspection. It sounded more like a concentration camp than a refugee compound. The longer he listened, the angrier her grew. Apparently communications devices would not function within the facility. The fact that offworld technology was not permitted within Sanctuary seemed to rub them all the wrong way.

“What were they playing at?” he all but snarled when that statement ran.

“It sounds like they were trying to hide something...” Tali comment.

“Yeah... _Cerberus_.” Shepard sounded as irritated as he felt.

They picked their way past a couple of bodies to the right. Shepard stepped up to the desk and slipped behind it. Garrus followed her. The video feed began at the touch of her hand. His breath caught at the amount of people flooding into the facility.

“Security cam footage. The place where they sort out the refugees.” he noted as he scanned the footage himself. He let out a slow breath at the numbers. “That's a lot of people.”

“Let's keep looking. There has to be something here to indicate where all those people went.” Shepard said softly.

Some part of him still wanted to rush deep into the facility and make absolutely certain that his family was not here. He held that part firmly in check now. It had gotten the better of him on the way in here. Now, Garrus realized, the rest of the team might need his skills should they run into trouble. He needed to maintain some semblance of calm no matter what they found.

Shepard moved around the office space listening to or reading various reports on the place. Everything seemed relatively normal. The facility was overcrowded, but that was to expected. There was even talk of setting up camps outside the facility, but they had seen no evidence of that. He hated to think that some of that debris out there might have been the beginnings of a camp.

To the opposite side of the main doors and down a set of semi-ruined stairs, were two clearly crashed Alliance shuttles. Shepard moved ahead of them. Now that he had come face to face with something other than Cerberus shuttles, he found his feet felt as if he were dredging through mud.

“Got a fragment of something here.” Shepard said softly as she knelt down and picked up a barely functioning data pad.

“There's a body here, Shepard...” Garrus said as he squatted down beside the ruined hatch of one of the shuttles. “He's... just a boy...”

“Damn... it looks like these shuttles were shot down.” Shepard growled as she stood, a data pad still in her hand. Her eyes locked on him, wide and round and full of sudden sympathy. “Garrus...”

Garrus tilted his head slightly to the side. The look he gave her was practically screaming a resounding no as she held the data pad out to him. His mandibles were drawn in so tight that the right one began to ache.

Clamping his mouth shut, he took the data pad carefully. He did not look at it for a couple of heartbeats, eyes still locked on those of his bondmate. She had to know his family was heading toward this place. He could see it in her eyes. The worst part of it came when he finally brought himself to glance down at that data pad.

The air gusted out of his lungs in a dual-toned keening moan as he staggered backward against the hull of the shuttle. He squatted down, bracing himself with his elbows on his knees as he finally hit the play button on the video message.

“Irysia made sure we escaped the home system before the Reapers completely overwhelmed Palaven's defenses.” there was a gasp of disbelief in the female's dual-toned voice before she continued. “Ah... spirits, my leg hurts. It's a bad break, but the medi-gel is helping. Dad's worried, but he won't admit it. The medic splinted it with a dura-plast cast. It'll be fine. It just needs time. We're headed to Sanctuary. Irysia says it's the only safe haven left with the Citadel turning people away. I hope you get this soon, Garrus. We're safe.....”


	16. Infested

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard and her team discover an infestation of the worst kind.... husks.

Shepard watched Garrus closely as he stumbled and then promptly squatted down on his haunches. His neck drained of color almost completely and his mandibles were pinned tightly to his face. The turian's mouth was clamped shut so firmly, she worried he might chip his plates. It was clear the message was from his sister. She had hoped his family might have gained admission to the refugee cell on the Citadel. Clearly they had not.

“They might have evacuated.” Tali suggested very quietly.

The turian ran his fingers over the still, static distorted image of his sister and nodded. His voice almost sounded choked when he spoke. “Yeah...”

“If they're here... we'll find them.” Shepard said firmly when he glanced up at her. His eyes locked to hers pleadingly.

“If Miranda is here... maybe... she knows where they are. Maybe they're with her.” Tali offered.

Garrus dragged himself back to his feet with a nod and opened a small compartment in the chest plate of his armor. He collapsed the data pad and tucked it inside, closing it in before stepping away from the shuttle. The look on his face then worried his bondmate. It was a hard look reminiscent of Archangel. She realized that was his go-to place when his personal life took a turn for the worst. She could not imagine a worse turn than his family going missing again. Correcting that idea, she realized there was something worse for him, but she refused to even consider it.

Moving away from the shuttles, Shepard followed him. He set a determined pace and only slowed when they saw more bodies in another waiting zone. “Got more bodies, Shepard.”  
“Casualties... both sides.” she confirmed as she took note of both Cerberus and Reaper-spawn.

“More Cerberus!” Garrus practically roared as a couple of troopers came out of hiding, guns blazing.

He fired his assault rifle in a chattering succession of anger, mowing them down before they had a chance to take cover again. He popped the heat sync with a jerk and caught it, tucking into one of the pouches he had taken to wearing strapped to his armor. There had only been a handful of operatives.

“This is an observation deck. It looks like a dead end.” Tali stated as she looked around the area once it was clear there was no more danger.

“We need an exit.” Shepard grumbled.

“Rachni....” Garrus growled in open disgust as they headed up the short flight of stairs toward a door that had clearly been sealed.

The dead creature lay tangled with the bodies of a pair of Cerberus troopers. They had obviously thought to attempt controlling the Reaper augmented beast. It had backfired badly for them. The automated system droned on in the background and Shepard wished she could shut it off. She was sick of hearing it. The message amounted to; hand over your belongings. You might get some of them back. Your communications devices won't work here and by the way, if they do, they're forbidden inside the facility anyway. _What they hell were they trying to do here? This doesn't sound like a safe haven, it sounds like a prison compound._ It rubbed her all kinds of the wrong way to consider how many of these people had family and friends on the outside. None of them had been able to contact those loved ones once they were inside this place. There was no way to know for sure if any of them had survived the fighting here.

Those were the thoughts that chased her through the registration area. It was a bad way to conduct a refugee center. Cutting off the refugees from anyone and anything on the outside just left them vulnerable. She realized that must have been Cerberus' plan all along. It irked her to see the Alliance logos scattered across several walls at that realization. They had duped the entire galaxy with this place and she meant to find out why.

Glancing at Garrus and the tense lines of his body as he moved from one console to the next, she hoped his family had not been 'processed'. She hoped they had escaped that shuttle crash and made if offworld once they realized things had turned bad here. For his sake, they had to be safe. She was not sure how he would cope if they were not. There would certainly be no safe haven for anyone wearing a Cerberus logo if Castis and Solana were not safe.

As she entered a short hallway, she found a console with a distorted video feed. Taping in a couple of keys, she managed to get it working enough for audio. She recognized the voice the second the woman began speaking.

“This is Miranda Lawson. If you've managed to get this far, you're either desperate or stupid. Listen to me. This is _not_ a refugee camp. This is a Cerberus facility run by my father, Henry Lawson. Turn back now. There is no help to be found here – all communication is being blocked by the central tower. Sanctuary is a lie. Stay away.”

“Ok... so we've got Cerberus, Reapers and Miranda's crazy father. Any ideas how this all fits?” Shepard let out a frustrated sigh tinged with irony as she glanced at her team.

“Let's... not forget Kai Leng....” Garrus said smoothly. The look on his face was not quite as pinched as it had been a little while ago.

“Right...” Shepard sighed and stepped away from the console.

Moving toward the end of that short hallway, She and her team found themselves outside again. They were face with a pool of some kind, clearly filled with water. She doubted it was meant for swimming as she spotted the panel beside it to her left.

“A security panel. Shutting it down.” she said as her fingers stroked a couple of keys.

A moment later the whole place shook and the sound of hydraulics powering up filled the air. Garrus moved toward the edge of the water and looked down, frowning. That analytical mind encased beneath the spines of his fringe was chewing away at the sound.

“What's going on?” his voice was soft and curious. His eyes traced the outlines of the pumps as they were exposed by the lowering water level. “That's Cerberus tech alright, but there's something different about it.”

“Modifications?” Shepard speculated.

“A _lot_ of modifications.” he answered. He was clearly scanning them with his visor.

Shepard moved to the opposite side of the console and spotted a ladder leading down into the now drained 'pool'. She searched the lower level for a moment and spotted a door on the far end. It was tucked in between a couple of those Cerberus pumps. “We've a back door into the facility. Let's move.”

Sliding down the ladder, she stepped aside to allow her team access. She scanned the area for trouble though she doubted there would be any here. The place was still dripping. Unless the Reapers or Cerberus were corrupting marine life, she was fairly certain they were safe, for the moment at least.

“Some of this is Reaper tech, Shepard. I'm sure of it.” Tali stated as she moved away from the ladder to look over one of the 'pumps'. Her next statement was awed disbelief, or was it disgust? “Cerberus has found a way to create an interface between our technology and the Reapers.”

“And Miranda's caught in the middle.” Shepard nodded at her friend as the quarian woman closed down her omni-tool.

“The nightmare factory just keeps churning...” Garrus grumbled softly as he stopped to look some of that tech over, his visor flashing as he clearly scanned it.

“Let's pick up the pace. We find Miranda...” Shepard nodded.

“We get some answers.” Garrus all but snarled. That hard look returning to the turian's face as they began moving toward the door again.

Shepard realized his distrust and dislike for the former Cerberus operative went so much deeper than her affiliation. He did not like the woman, clearly never had. She rubbed everyone the wrong way and the commander could not blame him. If she had to guess, she would have said his dislike was bordering on something closer to hate, however. It might not help to remind him that, if not for Miranda, she might not be at his side now. After all, the woman had headed the Lazarus Project and without that, the commander would still be just so much burned and frozen meat in a cryo-tube.

As they approached, the door opened easily. The security panel had obviously released the locks. The corridor beyond was filled with terminals that were locked down, however. They moved toward the door at the rear. There was no doubt it lead deeper into the facility. Some part of her dreaded what they might find in there, especially with the presence of Reaper tech.

“Cerberus... and using Reaper technology. This is going to be bad, isn't it?” Tali breathed as they neared that door.

“I can't imagine it being anything else.” Garrus growled with a grunt as he loaded a fresh heat sync into his assault rifle.

Entering the next section, Shepard took note of the stairs and the two sets of doors. The one at the top of the short flight of stairs was sealed. It forced them to head for the door at the far end. There were a couple of consoles here as well. Nothing that worked, however.

“A command center, by the look of it. Needs power.” Garrus rumbled as they stepped into the next section.

“Look around for a live terminal. We get the power back on and we stand a better chance of finding out what they were doing here.” Shepard stated as she split off from the team to head for the back wall.

The door at the far side of the center was locked due to the power outage. They were not getting through that without turning the power back on. Those were blast doors and they were not packing the kind of firepower required to blow them.

“I've found something. It might be the power switch.” Tali said after a moment. The quarian tapped at a couple of keys on the console in the center of the ring of monitors.

“Nice call, Tali.” Shepard said as she jogged back toward the woman.

The monitors powered up after a few seconds. And she noticed Garrus glancing around at them with a confused look pinned to his face. She took note of the images with a frown of her own.

“What _is_ this?” the turian's voice was barely more than a whisper as he twisted slowly to take in the images from all the monitors. A few monitors displayed images of people being forced into tubes of some kind. His voice took on a sick sound as the images hit home. “Those... are the refugees... right? They're just rounding them up and _killing_ them.”

“Worse...” Shepard breathed as the watched the victims in the tubes change. “They're being turned into husks.”

The commander glanced back at her bondmate. His breath caught at the reality of this new nightmare and he shook his head, eyes squeezed shut. She knew what must be on his mind; his family. Her own expression hardened at the idea and her resolve strengthened. They were getting to the bottom of this and, if at all possible, they would find his family. If the worst had happened... she meant take care of it.

Moving toward another console with a blinking light, she touched the key. The lights came on in the room just before the command center. Her eyes narrowed and she clamped her mouth shut at the sounds of the husks on the other side of the glass. They scattered like bugs under the light.

The second one slammed itself against the glass, she cringed backward with a tight frown. It had startled her, but could not break through the glass. She caught sight of Garrus around toward her left, his assault rifle trained on the husk. Her heart pounded with a mixture of adrenaline and the thrill of knowing he would always have her back. It had become second nature to him on the SR-1.

They watched the husk literally climb the glass and she had to wonder, how was it able to cling to the surface. It had to be the Reaper tech, she realized. It was adaptive. Maybe it had granted them some weird adhesive qualities.

“That room is crawling....” Garrus finally said as he lowered his rifle slightly.

“And we probably have to push through there.” Tali groaned.

“Nothing's ever easy....” Shepard grumbled as she headed toward the now unlocked door on the other side of the room.


	17. The Meat Grinder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tali isn't sure how this is all going to play out, but she's hoping against hope that the turian's family will be found intact, at least.

“Why create husks? They're just more troops for the Reapers.” Tali asked, a whining tone issuing from her voice that she could not easily control. “They could destroy the facility if they escaped. It seems like a stupid risk.”

“The Reapers attacked because this place was a _threat_.” Shepard grumbled as she moved into the next room.

“If _those_ are any indication.... I think we just found out why....” Garrus growled, motioning toward the husk still climbing up the glass with his rifle.

“A _security_ risk? Why create them in the first place?” Tali asked incredulously. She could not believe the Reapers might feel threatened by someone else doing the dirty work for them.

“I don't know, but I intend to find out.” Shepard nodded after a moment.

As they moved deeper into the room, Tali heard Miranda's voice breaking from the console near the far side of the room. She jogged toward it and looked it over. The recording was badly degraded, damaged by whatever had happened here. All of the consoles seemed to be.

“....shutting down the power....” Miranda's recording exclaimed in a loop.

The moment Shepard and Garrus were close enough, she tapped a few keys in an effort to clean up the video and run it. Miranda came into view as it began to play. The woman was tapping at the console before them as she recorded her message.

“Reapers forces have made a mess of the facility. I'm shutting down the power to the processing plant to lock them down. This should keep them out of the entrance as well.

The moment Miranda moved out of the frame, the video scrambled a bit. It cleared enough to catch a shadow moving in and glancing back the way the former Cerberus operative had gone. Tali touched a couple more keys and clarified the image even more.

“Kai Leng! Shepard, she doesn't know he's here.” there was a sense of urgency even though she knew this must be a recording.

“Miranda Lawson has arrived sooner than expected. You want me to deal with her?” Leng asked his boss.

“Only if she gets in your way. Focus on the research data.” TIM said smoothly from the man's omni-tool. “Find it and get out.”

“Yes, sir.” Leng purred.

“Miranda's message was recorded an hour ago.” Tali gasped, her eyes growing large and round on the other side of her face plate. “Shepard.... this... this is a live feed. He's here now!”

“ _Dammit_... Let's move!” Shepard snapped.

The commander wasted no time in heading down the stairs toward the next door they found. The sounds coming from the other side gave them warning enough. There were husks waiting for them. Tali was fairly certain they were about to enter that room that was virtually crawling with them. Icy fingers of dread raced up her spine at the thought. She hated those things. They brought a whole new meaning to the concept of vicious.

The second Shepard keyed the door open, Tali was ready. Garrus dropped back into a ready position with his assault rifle. “Husk!”

“Not surprised!” Shepard snapped as she slammed a biotic glowing fist down on the first husk. It dropped in the doorway, hindering the progress of the other two in the short corridor.

Tali was ready for them, however. She fired her shotgun at the first to come over the body, blowing a hole clean through it. Cringing at the sight of it continuing to crawl forward, she fired another shot into it's head. Garrus was already mowing down the last husk as Shepard bolted through the door.

There were more husks in the next room, a lot more. Shepard was already throwing biotics around as Tali and Garrus followed her in. they went down quickly and the commander continued on down the stairs to their left.

“Gotta be more where they came from.” she said as she replaced her pistol's heat sync.

“You just know... Cerberus couldn't make this easy.” Garrus rumbled half under his breath.

Tali nodded at that. She knew as well as he did that Cerberus would make things just as hard as they possibly could. Anything to slow them down. The question really was; why? _Why prevent us from finishing the Crucible? Why cost so many more lives by slowing us down? What could they possibly gain in all this? I know the Illusive Man wants to control the Reapers, I know that... but.._.

Following Shepard's lead, she stopped beside the bank of consoles the moment the commander keyed open the recorded logs. Henry Lawson's voice poured out of the speakers. He claimed they were making 'small adjustments' to increase processing efficiency. At a guess, she assumed that meant they had been adjusting the process of making more husks.

“Miranda's dad sounds just as crazy as she claims he is.” Garrus grumbled when they heard the man proclaim there was no shortage of subjects.

“What were they hoping to achieve here?” Tali barely contained the anger radiating through her.

“Control... that has to be it.” Shepard said and moved away from the console.

“The Illusive Man's still trying to figure out how to bend the Reapers to his will... Maybe... we should... I don't know....” Garrus' voice transitioned from a purr of resentment to outrage in a matter of a few words. “... tie him up... and toss him out an airlock.... right at Harbinger.”

“He'd probably try to talk the Reaper to death.” Tali dropped a snarky reply in an effort to lighten the darkening mood. She was not used to seeing Garrus so angry.

The next console had more information locked within it. The three of them glanced at each other when Lawson mentioned Reaper communication through nanites. Tali could only imagine what was going through Shepard's mind in those moments. From the look on the human's face, she guessed it was anything but good. She knew something of the tech used to rebuild the commander. It was heavily based on nanites to help maintain some systems until the implants were able to take over. There was a flash of worry that passed between the commander and her bondmate, but it was quickly suppressed by both.

Without delay, Shepard moved around that second bank of consoles and headed into the next room. It was a big room and Tali thought it might have been the one they had seen crawling with husks from above. The distinctive scream of a banshee drew a sharp breath from her.

“Reaper forces!” she snapped and ducked into cover.

“Must be leftover from the attack!” Shepard snapped and opened fired with her pistol on the banshee the second it came into view.

Garrus dropped into cover beside her and sniped the mutated asari, dropping it with a clean shot through it's gaping mouth. Tali envied his aim and the speed of his shots. She doubted she would ever become that adept with a sniper rifle. Tech, hacking, drones.... those were her proficiencies and she knew it.

“Rachni... far end of the room!” Garrus growled as he shifted his aim.

“I see 'em!” Shepard confirmed and threw out a shockwave hoping to throw them against the equipment in the room.

A moment later, Shepard pulled out her own sniper rifle and took aim at something above near a railing. Tali had just registered exactly what it was when the commander dropped it. The shot was not as clean as her bondmate's might have been, but it was effective.

“We've got marauders too...” Shepard breathed, her eyes locking on Garrus.

“ _Keelah._...” Tali breathed, the idea hitting her like a ton of bricks. She did not voice the next, but it was clear in her mind. _Garrus... his father... his sister... those marauders.... Keelah, any one of them could be his family_. She fervently prayed it was not so, but she kept an eye out for a marauder with a dura-plast leg splint all the same.

As the last of the Reaper-spawn went down, Shepard touched the turian's face before slipping from cover and moving on. They found themselves in a room with a banshee staring at them from the other side of a glass panel. There was a console to the left of the glass and Shepard cautiously moved toward it. It was more of the same, information on the experiments Cerberus had been running. Clearly they were creating their own Reaper army, but to what end. It still eluded Tali.

Garrus shook his head at the mention of adrenaline and it's cross-species equivalent. “It's hard to imagine what this place was like in full operation.”

“What they were doing here... it's... almost worse than the Collector base.” Shepard let the air out of her lungs in a disgusted breath.

“How so? The Collectors murdered millions...” Tali could not contain the feeling of dread here. Some part of her knew it was coming from the answer the commander was about to give her.

“The Collectors were puppets, controlled by the Reapers.” Shepard shook her head as she made eye contact with the swaying banshee on the other side of the glass. “Cerberus... they're human...”

“Or... supposed to be.” Garrus' voice dipped into an angry growl.

“ _That_... was created by living, thinking beings. Cerberus knew what they were doing.... They went ahead and did it anyway.” Shepard paused, the look on her face more a mask than an expression. She continued half under her breath. “It makes me _sick_.... to realize... I'm a member of a species.... capable of _that!_ ”

“Miranda did say her father was crazy. I think this proves it.” Garrus said, closing in on the commander and cupping one side of her face in a large hand. “If I had to guess at the reasoning behind his decisions here... I'd say he's indoctrinated.”

Shepard locked eyes with him, her eyes shining just a little too brightly under the lights. She nodded with a frown and gripped the front rim of his armor briefly. “That has to be the answer. We already know the Illusive Man is indoctrinated, he has to be.”

“I can't imagine anyone near him for long isn't being affected. Cerberus is neck deep in Reaper tech. Most of it is sending off signals.” Garrus said with an encouraging nod.

Tali was only just beginning to see the complex dynamics of the human/turian relationship that had sparked between them. Garrus seemed to be the commander's anchor in this storm. He was certainly her support and the voice of reason. That relationship was so much more than any of them had realized when they were betting on exactly when the turian would end up in the commander's bed. She almost felt ashamed now for placing that bet now.

The moment the two parted, Garrus moved off toward the door on the other side of the console. Tali did not know how he did it. _How does he keep his cool... and support Shepard.... all while his family is missing? Keelah, they could be in this place... somewhere. We could be forced to kill them if they've been... changed. Still he keeps going._

The next room contained a console with yet another scrambled message from Miranda. Tali was beginning to think the woman was leaving them a trail to follow. Each message was timestamped and each seemed to be no more than an hour old.

“Terminal's damaged...” Shepard grumbled.

“I've got this, Shepard.” Tali said and squatted before the terminal. She pulled the front panel off and began sorting through fried chips and wires.

Garrus backed up enough to get a clear view of the entire room. He was scanning it with his eyes and his visor for any threat. “Reapers wanted this place shut down. Maybe... we'll find out why.”

“It doesn't make sense.” Shepard said thoughtfully as she watched the scrambled screen above. “Thought Cerberus and the Reapers were getting along.... what changed?”

“There... that should do it.” Tali said as she pulled her hands out of the terminal's guts.

“You got it.” Garrus said almost sounding a little shocked that she had managed to get it working.

“Heading to the tower to disable the communications scrambler. I have to get word out.” came Miranda's determined voice. “Some refugees are turned into husks. Some are indoctrinated and shipped to the Illusive Man. Whoever's left is used in experiments. The data indicates that my father is trying to figure out how Reaper indoctrination works.”

“Tricking refugees with food and shelter only to turn them into test subjects. And for what?” Shepard's voice was a cold growl.

“ _Tsk_... _Draw_ them in...” Garrus said through the tisking intake of breath that escaped along with the disgust attached to his words. “...and _throw_ them in a meat grinder.”

Tali crossed her arms, hope blooming within her for the fate of the turian's family. “She said that shipments were being sent to the Illusive Man. Maybe we can use that to find him?”

“Good catch.” Shepard nodded and made eye contact with her briefly. The look the commander gave her said it all. She was entertaining the same hope as the quarian.


	18. Experiments in Horror

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The hidden labs within Sanctuary hold a special kind of horror.

“Miranda's headed for the tower...” Garrus said, sub-harmonics thrumming as he shifted from foot to foot.

“And that's where we're going.” Shepard said with a nod as she checked her pistol's heat sync.

There were a number of working consoles scattered around the room, none with useful information. Shepard bypassed those and headed up the many levels of snort stairs this room had to offer. She realized the facility must have been built along the contours of the terrain. The alternative was some vast space filled with heavy equipment below them. That was not exactly a thought she wanted to explore just now. Big as the place was, there could be a Reaper below them. There was no way she wanted to subject herself or her team to another round of the supposed 'Reaper Base'. It could stay buried in the bowels of the facility as far as she was concerned.

The second they reached the top level of the room, she heard it... the growls of Reaper-spawn. She barely had time to take cover when the first shits were fired at her. Tucking herself behind the large door frame, she eyed her team as they took positions as well. Glancing around the corner, she threw a shockwave toward the critters in the next room. Cannibals, that was what she had glimpsed in there. For her bondmate's sake, she prayed there were no marauders. There might be no distinguishing his father from the rest, but his sister... If Cerberus had not deemed it necessary to removed her splint, she would be easily recognizable. The last thing the commander wanted was for him to be forced to put down his family. She knew he might never recover from something like that. If she saw Solana... if the turian woman had been 'converted', she meant to take care of it. It would be quick, clean and as quiet as possible. Garrus need not know. It was the most merciful solution she could think of.

The firefight grew intense as her team moved in for better aim. She nearly caught Tali in a cross-fire. The yell was out of her in an instant. “Tight quarters! Check your positions!”

“Watch your fire, Tali!” Garrus barked from further ahead.

Spotting a marauder ahead, Shepard bolted out of cover and ran toward it. She grasped the dark energy that fueled her biotics as she went. Before she had spanned half the distance between them, she engulfed herself and... 'stepped off the precipice'. In reality, she simply threw herself into the charge and virtually teleported into the marauder's space. She brought both glowing fists down on the altered turian's keel bone. A sharp crack echoed through the room as she pushed the creature into cover. A quick, clean shot under its jaw with her pistol ended it's struggles. The long fringe told her this one had been male, but beyond that... there were no identifying marks left on him. He was not Castis, she knew that much. This creature had been too short, closer to six feet. The idea that struck her then sickened her and renewed her hatred of Cerberus and the Reapers both. This turian must have been a juvenile, maybe a teenager to be so much smaller.

Silence returned to the room and she glanced behind her. Tali and Garrus were heading her way. She eased the marauder to the floor gently before turning and getting a better look at the room before her. What she saw there sent icy fingers of dread up her spine. They had entered another control center surrounded with tanks. Some still had husks within them. They were clearly dead by the lack of movement. Failed test subjects, she assumed.

“Shepard... over here.” Garrus said as he stepped up to a console with a scrambled video feed.

“Heavy resistance outside the tower!” Miranda snapped as she punched keys in the console before her on the monitor.

The touch of a couple of keys brought the image into slightly better clarity. The video continued after a slight delay. “If you're receiving this, I've got evidence you cannot ignore. Confirmation that my father is working for the Illusive Man.”

Miranda's image suddenly vanished and an exclamation point within a triangle replaced it. The computer voice spoke up in a deadpan tone. “Connection established.”

“I have your report on the process. Cut to the chase, Mr. Lawson. _Can_ you do it?” TIM asked the man who suddenly appeared on the screen. This was clearly the evidence Miranda had mentioned.

“Theoretically control is possible, yes. The Reaper subjects we converted are responding, but it's difficult to maintain.” Lawson stated, arms crossed.

“I thought that might be the case. Not to worry, Henry. With Sanctuary's help, we'll get it sorted.” TIM said, sounding completely unconcerned with the suggestion of destroying thousands of lives to meet his agenda.

“Controlling... Reaper forces. Is that possible?” Garrus asked in a speculative tone.

Only his bondmate noticed the tones of disgust and outrage buried in his sub-harmonics. She could hear them as if they were echoing around the room. The whispering course of discord told her he honestly thought he might be sick at the very idea.

“I dunno... I'll play the rest of it.” Shepard said quietly.

“We've _done_ it. We've found a way to co-opt their control signal.” Lawson exclaimed excitedly. “As long as the Reaper troops remain in close proximity to _our_ signal, we can maintain control _indefinitely_.”

“Excellent news. And how could we extrapolate this technique to apply to the Reapers themselves?” TIM asked, sharing in the excitement.

Lawson leaned on the console opposite the comm and ducked his head down. “That's a _much_ bigger challenge.”

“Now we know why the Reapers attacked Sanctuary.” Shepard's quiet voice was filled with contempt.

“They must have discovered what Cerberus was doing. That's bad news for the Illusive Man.” Tali speculated.

“Good news for us. We could use a little more of that.” Garrus rumbled softly.

“Right... we _finally_ have our link to Cerberus.” Shepard nodded as she tapped in a couple of lines of code and downloaded the data to her omni-tool. After a moment, she hit a switch beside the console and glanced behind them. “Lowering the access ladder...”

“Hold on, Shepard! There's more.” Garrus said sharply as she started to move away from the console.

Turning back, the commander frowned faintly and stepped back toward her bondmate and the console. Her eyes narrowed on the image that came up as she drew closer. It was garbled with interference at first. When it clarified, she saw Kai Leng drop behind Miranda. The woman must have heard him because she took off like a shot before he could get close.

“ _Dammit!_ ” Shepard snarled and turned back toward that ladder. “I hope she's ready for him.”

“More Reaper troops!” Tali yelled the second she disappeared over the edge of the level above.

“Look for an exit!” Shepard barked as she cleared the top of the ladder.

Cannibals, marauders, ravagers... some of the worst Reaper-spawn they could think of was all clustered in this strip of corridor. The commander gave up trying to be gently with her elimination of the marauders. They certainly weren't being gentle with her or her team.

“They're keeping us busy!” Garrus barked as he rolled into cover across from her.

Shepard realized he was right, they were keeping them busy. That last video must have been a live feed. The Reaper-spawn were meant to delay them so Kai Leng could finish the job he set out to do. If he got away with that data... _Who knows how much worse things might get_.

“We're close! Keep pushing!” Shepard yelled as she threw out a singularity in the hopes of capturing the rachni swarmers before they drew too near.

The second the last rachni ravager exploded, she slipped from cover and got a good look at their surroundings. This looked like the heart of the lab, she realized as she climbed a small set of stairs. There were more tanks and more dormant husks within on the other side of a large window. She nearly stepped into range of a small cluster of rachni pods before backing away quickly. They were scattered along the wall in clusters of three. These she ignored. They would not activate unless someone drew too near. She suspected that had something to do with the Reaper tech spliced into their bodies.

Moving through the large room in search of an exit, Shepard realized her bondmate was right. This place was a huge nightmare factory and she meant to shut it down. At that moment in time, Kai Leng was at the top of her shit list, second only to the Illusive Man himself. The commander planned to take TIM and Leng down together, if possible, but she would settle for one at a time. Taking the Reapers down would garner a collective sigh of relief from the entire galaxy. There was no doubt in her mind how this all had to play out. She meant to send every last one of them on a one way trip back to hell. Nothing else would ensure the safety of the galaxy... or her bondmate.

When she made it to the other side of the room, she noticed a pair of busted tanks, one with a husk still on the slab. The windows were broken around them and the console was still blinking. She touched the blinking key and was assaulted by the recorded voice of one of the victims. A woman in a panic over being unable to move. Shepard squeezed her eyes shut at the hysterical screams that followed. That woman had been alert when they 'converted' her.

“Shepard! A way out!” the turian's shout broker her out of her own dark thoughts from the opposite side of the room.

The commander took one last look at the dead husk on the slab before turning toward the sound of her bondmate's dual-toned voice. She ran for the door he indicated with renewed determination. Shepard did not stop to look as she leaped across the gap onto the trolley they came to. It all clicked for her as it all registered in her mind.

“This will get us closer to the tower.” she grumbled as she knelt beside a panel in the roof of the trolley.

Tearing the cover off, she reached in and hot-wired the transit. There had been only a few very rare occasions she was grateful for her rough beginnings back on Earth and all the things she had learned from the gangs. This was one of those times as the trolley powered up. The second her team was standing behind her, she set the trolley in motions. It did not go far, but without it, they would not have been able to reach next doorway.

“This way.” Shepard said as she jumped off the trolley and onto the platform before the next door.

That door opened on a lab that was completely trashed. Smoldering debris littered the floor, sparks flew from ripped out consoles and smashed girders obstructed parts of their route. To her, it looked like a bull had charged through the place. The thought struck her that it might be something so much worse.

“We got company!” Garrus barked, his assault rifle clicking as he swapped the heat syncs and locked a clip in place.

“Oh... god...” Shepard breathed as she saw the brute heading her way. “Stay out of their reach!”

“Easier said than done...” Garrus all but purred, but took cover anyway.

The brute charged toward her and she managed to side step it. The giant creature rolled into what could only have been some sort of drainage trench beside her. She heard the dual-toned grunt from behind her and saw Garrus hit the floor from the tremor that passed through it. He slid down the ramp toward the brute in a flash.

Eyes widening, Shepard let loose with everything she had at the creature in an effort to bring it down or at least distract it from its prey. It roared, but ignored her for the most part. It grabbed the turian's ankle with one giant hand. The commander's heart nearly stopped as it began to lift him.

Omni-blade slipping free of its sheath, she made a run at it. With an adrenaline and biotic enforced swing, she brought the blade down on the brute's wrist with a sharp yell. The creature roared and the turian scrambled away from it as her blade separated it's hand from it's wrist.

Shepard found herself in a precarious position with that action as the thing towered over her. She saw no possibility of escape as it raised both arms over it's head. It's right missing the fist it meant to bring down on her. There was no defense against the attack it was about to launch against her.


	19. An Unexpected Twist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus is really going through the wringer through this run.

Garrus did not bother with the scope on the black widow at such close range. The weapon was one of the most powerful in his current arsenal. He simply fired at the brute, taking an approximate aim at it's eye. The force of it's attack fell short, but it still came down on his bondmate. She disappeared under it's bulk.

“No... no no no...” the words were a litany just under his breath as he slid back down toward the trench.

“ _Keelah!_ There's another one!” Tali shouted as she sent her drone out toward it.

The brute was lumbering along the upper corridor on the other side of the trench. Garrus glanced between it and it's dead companion with wide eyes. There was no way he could shift this first monster enough to free his bondmate alone. He was going to need Tali's help. With another brute, she was going to need his help or none of them were getting out of here alive.

“ _Crap!_ ” he snarled with every bit of the hatred he felt for the Reapers and raised the scope up to his eye. A couple of precision shots brought the creature down and he slung the rifle across his back. “Tali! Help me move this bastard!”

The quarian said nothing, she simply ran to help. Metal and meat, mostly krogan, proved incredibly heavy. Garrus barely noticed the weight. His species equivalent of adrenaline kicked in at the thought of his mate still being under that thing. With a grunt, he and Tali rolled it off the commander. He sat down on the edge of the ramp, mandibles flaring in a relieved smile as he chuckled at the sight.

Shepard glanced up at him through the small flickering biotic shield she crouched in. Apparently she had been unable to conjure a bigger field. It was enough. She was alive and unharmed. That was more than the turian had hoped for.

“New trick, Shepard?” he purred and did not bother to hide the relief flowing through his voice or his sub-harmonics.

“You could say that.” she smiled at him as she released her grip on the biotic energy.

“ _Keelah!_ Stop scaring us like that!” Tali snapped, her hand gripping the commander's left pauldron and pushing her slightly.

The sound a banshee screaming drew their attention sharply a few seconds later. Shepard looked up toward the sound and scowled. “This isn't finished yet.”

“They're all coming from that room up ahead!” Tali called as she ran up the opposite trench, her shotgun blazing at the Reaper-spawn charging toward them.

“Let's get over there and block them in!” Shepard shouted over the rattle of gunfire.

“Ugh... _crap!_ I thought we were done with these guys!” Garrus complained when he saw yet another brute lumbering their way. He lined up the shot and took it down quickly. There was no way he was giving it a chance to get close to his bondmate.

Shepard moved across in front of him the second he raised his rifle toward the ceiling. He shifted into cover himself just as she did. The difference was, he made it without taking a hit. She did not. The commander took a blast from the banshee on the far end of the corridor. She seemed to shake it off after a couple of seconds. Those cybernetics of hers were definitely adjusting more than just her hearing. She was getting stronger, more resistant to Reaper attacks. He wondered what else might be changing.

The second the banshee went down under fire from the three of them, his visor pronounced the area clear. No more targets in the immediate area cropped up. He breathed a sigh of relief as he slipped out of cover. “Clear.”

“I see a doorway!” Tali barked a moment later.

They moved toward that door as one, Shepard reached out to access it and it opened easily enough the facility's computer came over the comm on the other side. “Tower access granted.”

The elevator seemed to shoot up quick enough to create a faint feeling of vertigo for Garrus. He said nothing, simply clamped down on the odd feeling. It lasted seconds at any rate. The door opened on a small room that looked like some kind of office reception. If the Reapers or Cerberus had taught them all anything, it was not to trust the seemingly innocent.

“Get ready!” Shepard barked as she headed for the door just a few feet away. The sound of breaking glass and gunfire could be heard on the other side.

The second the door opened, they spotted Miranda behind a nearby desk. There was a flicker of movement in the far left corner of the room, but the thing that caught their attention was Henry Lawson grabbing Oriana in a hostage stance.

“Shepard!” Miranda snapped and her eyes strayed back toward her father.

“Commander Shepard. Excellent timing.” Henry Lawson purred.

“Put the gun down.” Shepard practically groaned. Her patience was clearly at an end.

“No. Oriana tried to shoot me. Miranda's poisonous influence, no doubt.” the man grumbled.

“I'm sorry she missed. Where's Kai Leng?” Shepard gave him a tone that sounded bored.

“I don't know. He took my research and left us here to die.” Henry grumbled.

“The _human_ missed. _I_ won't!” came a dual-toned masculine snarl from the far left of the room. The sound of a Carnifex pistol being cocked was music to Garrus' ears, but he dared not glance behind him. There was no doubt in his mind who that voice belonged to, however. He held the relief at bay for the moment. There was still a tense situation to deal with.

Miranda chose that moment to get to her feet and take a couple of steps. Henry flicked his pistol from the turian behind them, back to Miranda. His pistol found a position against Oriana's temple. “That's far enough! Both of you!”

“This ends here.” Shepard growled at the man.

“On the contrary. Now that the Reapers are taken care of, we have a way out.” Henry purred, his gun still firmly against Oriana's head.

“Let her go.” Shepard growled roughly.

“I don't see you making it out of this room alive... _Doctor._.. At least... _not_ with the girl.” the turian male behind them threw the title like a slur.

Garrus had to wonder; what had the human subjected them to. Whatever it was, it must have seriously ticked the turian off. There were only a few things dark enough he could think of that would tick that particular male off this much.

“Leng should have killed you. I'm surprised he didn't. He's not known for leaving survivors.” the turian said, moving away from the corner he must have been protecting.

The profile that came into view was unmistakable. Garrus' eyes flicked to the male briefly and the other nodded, his pistol trained on Henry. Castis Vakarian never went anywhere without that pistol.

“Shepard... don't let him take her.” Miranda pleaded with the commander.

“What _exactly_ do you think you've created here?” Shepard asked the man, not bothering to hide the disgust in her voice.

“Hope. Few people have the stomach to do what it takes to survive. What we learned here will save countless lives. I will be seen as the savior of the human race.” Henry explained his delusion.

“I doubt that.” Shepard said coldly.

“You'll be remembered as a _butcher_ by the rest of us.” Castis snapped in disgust as he moved a little closer, obviously looking for a clear shot.

Shepard's gun never left it's mark, her gaze never wavered, but she held up a fisted hand in a signal to hold position. Garrus knew she heard his father moving in. She was not about to compromise Oriana's safety.

“You try to leave with her, you _die_. Let her go and _maybe_ you walk.” Shepard laid out his choices clearly.

“I've done nothing to you.” Henry snapped.

“This isn't about you and me. Let her go and walk away. I won't say it again.” Shepard shifted her position just enough to block Castis' shot.

“Alright.” After a moment of thought, Henry released his grip on Oriana and shoved her away from her. “Take her, but I want out alive. Deal?”

There was no time to reach, no time to stop her. Before another breath escaped anyone's lungs, Miranda had grasped her biotics and blasted the man through the glass behind him. He screamed all the way down. Her voice was cold as winter frost. “No deal.”

Oriana was crawling to her feet, her sister closing in on her. Garrus ignored them in favor of turning his attention on his father. “You're alive...”

“Vakarian's are hard to kill, son...” Castis rumbled as he tucked his pistol back into the holster that always rested against his waist.

Garrus let out a shaky breath and nodded. A moment later, he locked one arm around his father's cowl in relief. It was an involuntary move. The hug was brief and his father tolerant of the display. Frowning, Garrus stepped away. “Sol?”

Castis pointed toward the crates in that far corner grimly. When Garrus moved toward them, he spoke up. “Garrus... she's... Leng shot her.”

Oriana had split off from the others and was heading their way just as Garrus stepped around the crates. She held a hand up to him and knelt down beside his sister. After checking pupil reaction, pulse and respiration, she glanced back at the pair of turians.

“It's just a tranquilizer dart.” she said, producing the offending dart. “It should wear off in a few hours. She's going to be fine.”

Castis frowned as he knelt beside his daughter. One hand pressed against her filed fringe. “Why would he use a tranq dart? Why not live rounds? Uh... not that I'm complaining. My daughter is alive, after all.”

“Miranda interrupted him. Maybe he meant to take her with him as a... _specimen_.” Garrus suggested in disgust.

“That has to be it. Why else would he leave us alive?” Castis nodded.

“At least you're both alright.” Garrus allowed the relief to wash over him.


	20. Requesting Shore Leave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard knows her team is fraying around the edges when they return to the Normandy from Sanctuary.

“The research data is gone, but I've still got basic facility information like shuttle arrivals and departures... Cerberus included.” Tali said the moment Shepard prompted her. “It's not a direct link, but it's something to work with.”

Shepard stepped over toward her, Miranda's crisis having been dealt with as much as currently possible. She hated to leave it like that. There were bound to be some repercussions for the former Cerberus operative over killing her own father. The commander could not imagine the emotional baggage that was bound to follow that decision.

“Grab anything you can off the computer. We'll take it back to be analyzed.” the commander gave the order. She meant to have EDI go over those logs with a fine toothed comb.

“I can do better than that.” Miranda spoke up unexpected. There was still an edge to her voice.

“What?” Shepard huffed in faint disbelief, glancing toward the woman and one of the other consoles.

“Before Kai Leng took off, I planted a tracer on him. If you act fast, you'll track him right to the Illusive Man.” Miranda stated as she walked toward the commander with something small in her hands. She looked down at it for a moment before offering it to her.

“A tracer? Sounds like you thought of everything.” Shepard said thoughtfully as she took the device.

“Not quite, but... nobody's perfect.” Miranda sighed uncomfortably as she shifted from foot to foot.

“Thanks, Miranda. This is... exactly what we need.” Shepard nodded as she tucked the device into a pouch at her hip.

“Thought you might need some good news.” Miranda returned the nod as she placed a hand on her hip.

“Damn right. What's next for you and Ori?” Shepard asked. She really did not expect the pair would be coming aboard the Normandy.

“Get her someplace safe. Get this scratch cleaned up.” Miranda touched the bleeding stripe across her cheekbone before glancing at her sister. The younger woman was making her way back to them.

“Ok.” Shepard said and paced a couple of steps from the other woman. “I've gotta follow all this up.”

“I'll be in touch, Shepard, soon.” Miranda stated. “Come on, Ori. We've had enough of father's hospitality.”

Shepard simply nodded and glanced toward the Vakarians. Castis was now supporting his semi-conscious daughter. They looked relatively uninjured. “What about the two of you?”

“Anywhere but here would be preferable.” Castis said, glancing around at the damaged facility.

“You could... hitch a rid on the Normandy... We'll have to put in at the Citadel sooner or later.” Garrus suggested.

“I... don't see as we have much choice. There's... not much left of our shuttle.” Castis let out a breath of mild frustration. Finally he nodded. “Alright... but only if you have room for us.”

“We'll make room.” Shepard said and extended a hand to him. He took it and shook it firmly. She thought it might have been the first physical contact she had had with the elder Vakarian. “Welcome aboard, sir.”

“I can't say this....” and he indicated the facility with his free hand the moment he released hers. “... has been a pleasure. Perhaps we'll have a talk over some kava later.”

That last sounded ominous to Shepard, but she allowed it to roll off her for the moment. She did not know if the elder Vakarian was aware she and his son were already bonded. That was a talk she was not sure she was ready to have with this particular turian.

Turning toward the console Miranda had left only moments ago, Shepard began tapping in keys. “Let's make sure everyone knows about this place.”

“Communications scrambler disabled.” intoned the computer. At the touch of another couple of keys, Miranda's message began broadcasting.

Touching the implant near her ear, Shepard made the call to the pilot. “Cortez, we need a pick up at the tower.”

“Roger that.” came the quick reply.

“I've had enough of this place.” Shepard grumbled as she glanced out the broken window at the body sprawled a few floors down.

The commander took note of Garrus and his father supporting Solana between them as they moved toward a door on the far side of the room. She could only assume that lead to some sort of balcony. That, she realized, must have been Leng's escape route. She jogged on ahead of them and went through the door first. If there were any lingering Reaper-spawn, she meant to deal with them before the Vakarian clan got near them.

Relief washed through her when the door opened on clear skies. The balcony was larger than she had expected. She could have landed a couple of shuttles on it with just a little room to spare. The kodiak coming in from the left was a welcome sight. These missions were really taking a toll on her lately. As she glanced back at her team, she realized they were taking a toll on her entire crew. They needed some shore leave and soon.

Shepard b-lined for the shuttle before it have even touched down. She had the hatch open and was ensuring the others boarded before she followed them. The idea of shore leave began to cement itself in her mind. She meant to bring the idea up to Hackett when she delivered her report. The Normandy could use some routine maintenance anyway. The Citadel had plenty of places to hole-up while those repairs were conducted. Everyone would be off the ship, she would see to that personally. It was just a matter of convincing the brass to let it happen.

Taking a seat in her customary position across from the hatch, Shepard watched her bondmate help his sister into a seat near the rear of the shuttle. Groggy was a good term for how she was. At least Solana was beginning to shake off the affects of the tranquilizer. She realized it must not have been a terrible strong dose. _I don't know how long she's been down either. Castis might have carried her up into that room_. Glancing at the elder Vakarian, she realized he most likely had not carried her up there. From the scuffs on his pale armor and the smear off dried turian blood across his thigh, she noted they must have had a hard go of things.

Frowning, she focused in on the pair as her bondmate sat down with them. Castis was in pale camo armor or a C-Sec variety. Solana was also in armor. It was similar to what Nyreen had worn. It was blue, a good match for her brother's armor.

_Armor.._. and then it struck her. The whole of Palaven must have taken up arms and dawned protection in the final hours of the evacuation. Every asari on Thessia had done the same. Her own people on Earth had done it. She clamped down on those thoughts quickly. Another meltdown was not something she wanted to explore. Later, there would be time later to mourn what had been lost. If she caved in now, they might well lose it all.

Garrus locked eyes with her from across the shuttle and she smiled at him, giving him a nod before turning her attention to her omni-tool. It was expected that he should be with his family now. They needed him. She needed to compose this report. There was also the request for shore leave to consider. It was going to happen or she thought she might mutiny.

Nana was right, a few hours of downtime would not matter much in the grand scheme of things. It was that thought that turned her mind back to the baby the asari had brought on board. She sighed at that and dropped her head into her hands for a moment. _How am I supposed to raise a kid in the middle of a war? I know nothing about asari children. Human babies... sure. Asari? How am I supposed to deal with that? I need some answers. Nana seems to know how the Consort pulled this off. She's gonna tell me or I might well tear those tentacles clean off her head_.

The moment the shuttle touched down in the Normandy's shuttle bay, Shepard looked up. Garrus was helping his father drag Solana to her feet. It looked like that had a handle on things. She would only get in the way if she attempted to offer assistance.

“Have Chakwas look her over.” Shepard suggested and as an afterthought, she added. “I'll have Traynor see about setting them up a place to stay.”

“I'll... uh... I'll meet you in the mess later.” Garrus suggested with a nod.

“Kava... and... well... the levo equivalent.” Castis reminded them both.

“Right... that's coffee, dad.” Garrus supplied with a faint laugh.

“I'll leave you to it, then.” Shepard began.

“Yes, I expect you have a report to send off. We'll see you once we've settled the most pressing affairs.” Castis nodded and gave one final heave to haul his daughter's arm over his shoulder.

Shepard nodded and made her way out of the shuttle toward the elevator. The Vakarian's were moving slowly enough that she took the lift up to the CIC before they had even managed to make it out of the shuttle. Garrus would see that his father and sister made it to the medbay.

The moment she stepped off the elevator, Traynor was right there. She could not have avoided the woman if she had wanted to. Her assistant virtually ambushed her.

“Commander, Admiral Hackett is waiting on vid comm.” the woman was saying before she had even moved two steps from the elevator.

“I assumed as much. I was just heading for the QEC.” Shepard indicated the direction she was moving toward.

“There's more...” the woman breathed and opened her omni-tool. “It seems Tali's taken what happened on Horizon harder than expected. She sent a message from the lounge.”

“The lounge? We... just left the shuttle.” Shepard frowned and paused mid-step.

“Yes, well... It appears she headed straight there.” Traynor nodded with a faint sigh.

“I'll handle it after I've spoken with the admiral.” Shepard began to move off toward her destination and stopped again for a moment. “Think you can arrange quarters for a couple of stranded turians?”

“Uh... yes... possibly.” Traynor sounded flustered for half a heartbeat.

“We recovered the missing Vakarians.” Shepard enlightened her.

“Oh... _oh_...” Traynor's eyes went wide. “Your in-laws... it take it. I'll see what I can find.”

“You do that. I've got a report to file.” Shepard nodded with a faint smile.

“You're going to take Cerberus down, aren't you?” Traynor growled before Shepard could take another step.

The commander turned and narrowed her eyes at the woman for an instant before it clicked. “Horizon was your home, wasn't it?”

“It was.” Traynor nodded.

“Cerberus is already dead. They just don't know it yet.” Shepard replied after another moment of thought. She meant to do whatever it took to get that Catalyst data back. If it meant razing Cerberus and all their outposts to the ground, that was exactly what she would do. “And when their base is nothing but a smoking crater, remember that you're the one who helped us find them.”

“Thanks.” Traynor nodded with a shaky breath.

With that, Shepard managed to make her way to the QEC without further incident. Food and rest, those were the things she wanted most this evening. They had gotten lucky. Everybody came back alive and relatively unharmed. Her right shoulder creaked in complaint as she moved toward the QEC. Rolling it, she cringed at the grinding pop.

Cerberus had worked a miracle rebuilding her, but some things still remained. She might not still carry the scars from Elysium on the outside, but her shoulder would never forget. Part of her knew she should hate the batarians for that colony alone. One of those bastards had nearly separated her from her arm at the shoulder joint. Chakwas had confirmed it right after boarding the SR-2. As meticulous as Miranda and her team had been, they had still missed the tiny pieces of shrapnel wedged into that joint. The external scars might be gone, but her body remembered and it ached. That brute had come down hard. Her shields and biotic field had held, but she still felt some of that impact in her shoulder.

“I wasn't in favor of your diversion to Sanctuary, Commander.” those were the first words out of the man's mouth the second she opened the QEC. “Too many unknowns... but I was wrong. The Cerberus lab you raided hinted at something big, but we never expected this. All those refugees... all that... _slaughter_... just to study indoctrination.”

“Sanctuary _did_ need to be shut down, sir.” Shepard nodded solemnly. She had not known exactly how the Alliance brass would react to the report she sent from the shuttle. “What they learned about the Reapers wasn't worth all those lives.”

“You're right, Commander. Useful as the intel may be, the cost was too high.” Hackett nodded and shifted from foot to foot restlessly. “Do we have a location on the Illusive Man?”

“Yes. We had a tracer on Kai Leng when he ran back to his master.” Shepard nodded. It was one of the few bright spots in this whole mess.

“Good. That gives us a fighting chance to take Cerberus out of this war.” Hackett seemed to brighten at that.

“Agreed. We need to end Cerberus and focus on the Reapers.” Shepard narrowed her eyes and nodded.

“My thoughts exactly.” the admiral nodded, shifting again.

“Sir... you know how much I hate to leave a battle, but...” Shepard began, never one to ask for shore leave. “... my team could use a little downtime. A day... maybe two. The Normandy could use a little maintenance before we bring the fight to Cerberus.”

“I'll check those maintenance records and get back to you on that, Commander. Hackett out.” with that, the QEC scrambled and went dark.


	21. A Drunken Conversation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tali has secluded herself in the lounge and is not expecting anyone to join her, especially not Commander Shepard.

Tali sat at the bar in the lounge. The bar stool seemed to have gotten smaller somehow while she sat there. Maintaining her balance on the thing was becoming next to impossible so she leaned her elbows on the counter, her triple filtered turian brandy between her hands. She had not been in the lounge long, but the brandy was stronger than she expected. It was hitting her much too hard.

When the door behind her opened, she could not maintain her balance enough to turn and see who it was. The room was rocking when Shepard came into her line of sight. She bobbed her head and smiled at the commander.

“Shepard! Wanna drink? I'm toasting Miranda... I think.” Tali slurred out.

“How are you getting drunk?” Shepard asked.

Tali blinked at Shepard in mild confusion. Clearly the human had no idea how she was introducing alcohol into her suit. Leaning on the counter again when the room seemed ready to spin off like a top, she grunted a half laugh.

“Very... carefully...” she began to slowly explain to the commander how it was possible. “Turian brandy, triple filtered... then introduced into the suit through an emergency induction port.”

“That's a straw, Tali.” Shepard said blandly.

“ _Emergency induction port_....” Tali stressed carefully. Even to her ears it sounded slurred. She tipped the glass a fraction and eyed the thing Shepard was calling a straw critically. “It's actually getting a little harder to get it into the slot. I think that means it's working...”

“Uh-huh. Maybe you should slow down on that brandy a bit.” Shepard suggested.

“I... think.... I'll have another sip. Maybe... if I can get the thing... in the slot.” the quarian knew she was pretty well wasted by this point. There were three straws now.

“Maybe.... just give it a minute.” Shepard said as her hand closed over the top of the glass, pinning the straw to the side as she moved it out of Tali's reach.

“Hey...” Tali howled, but struggled to remain on the bar stool as she reached for the glass.

“Now, what's going on and why are you in here getting shit-faced?” Shepard asked with that tone that seemed more like a mother than a commander.

“She was so rude. What did Jack call her?” Tali let out a faint snort as the term came to her. “...'Cerberus Cheerleader'... With her perfect genes, and that attitude, and... and still... she got it _done_. She stopped her _father_.”

“I didn't realize this would be so hard on you.” Shepard said in a soft tone before taking a seat on the bar stool beside her.

“I didn't _like_ her. _Keelah_ , she was _such_ a bitch. But I respected her. Sometimes that's better than liking.” Tali realized being drunk made it so much easier to express those opinions she kept hidden away from everyone.

“Yeah, there's not much about Miranda to like. Overbearing seems to fit her better than 'bitch'.... maybe.” Shepard seemed to think about that for a moment before bumping shoulders with Tali with a faint laugh. “Nah... 'bitch' sums it up _perfectly_.”

“It does....” Tali huffed a laugh of her own before glancing toward Shepard. “She did whatever it took to stop her father. She never gave into him. Never changed herself to _please him_. I respect her for that.”

“Ah.” Shepard said as if she had just had some sort of epiphany.

“Don't 'Ah' me! You sound like a vorcha.” Tali grumbled at the sound and reached for the drink the commander had removed from her hands.

“Seeing a bit of yourself in Miranda fighting her father?” Shepard asked.

Tali was a bit surprised the human allowed her to retrieve the drink. She raised the glass before wedging the straw into the slot once more. Frowning, she glanced down at it and realized there had only been about one more sip in the bottom.

“I spent my _life_ trying to live _up_ to him, then making up for _his_ mistakes, doing what _he'd_ have wanted.” Tali's voice had grown rougher as she answered and she knew it was not the alcohol. Long pent up emotions were pouring out and she questioned the logic of having drank so much.

Shepard let out a faint breath on the edge of a bitter laugh. “It's never that easy.”

“When do we get to _stop reacting_ to our _parents_ and start _living_ for _ourselves?_ ”

“The answer to that one's at the bottom of that glass.” Shepard said, the bitterness resonating through her voice.

Tali looked up at her then. She shook her head and glanced back down at the glass. If Shepard was right, she was going to need ten more glasses. “I might need help with the induction straw.... port. You know.”

“Here's to Miranda.” Shepard said and raised a glass of something Tali had not even noticed she had poured.

“Nice job, you genetically perfect Cerberus cheerleader bosh'tet. Keelah se'lai.” Tali swayed as she raised her own glass.

Shepard steadied Tali on the stool just before she could slip off it as she sucked the last dregs of her glass through the straw. The quarian did not bother to refill it. She was feeling pretty mellow by this point anyway. Glancing back at the commander she frowned again though. There was something in the set of the human's frame. Something that seemed more connected with the subject at hand.

“His father is here.... you think he's not going to approve of the quickie bonding, don't you?” Tali asked with much more insight than she thought she might otherwise have had.

“Maybe.” Shepard said thoughtfully as she took a swig from her own glass.

“Have you heard from Anderson?” the next question, she realized, hit the nail on the head.

Shepard's eyes slid toward her as she slid the glass back and forth across the counter between her hands. A little alcohol sloshed over the rim onto her hands, but she did not seem to notice. Her voice was barely a rough whisper when she answered. “No.”

“That's it, isn't it. That's what's bothering you.” Tali let out a faint laugh as it clicked for her. She had been trying to live up to her father's expectations, but Shepard... “You've been trying to live up to Anderson, aren't you? Now you have your bondmate's father to impress. I can't imagine what that must be like.”

“Nothing's ever easy.” Shepard intoned what had clearly become a litany of sorts over the years.

“You don't have to, you know...” Tali slurred as she glared down into the bottom of her glass.

“What?” Shepard asked as she poured another glass for herself.

“Try to live up to Anderson. He's just your commanding officer... not your father.” Tali had lost the ability to be delicate in her opinion. She just blurted the idea out.

“True, but...” Shepard set the glass down and made an awful puckered face at it. Her voice, when it came, was softer than Tali thought she had ever heard it. “... he's the closest thing I've ever had to one.”

“And what about... Mr. Vakarian? Not Garrus... his dad... What will he be to you? What do you want him to be?” Tali asked, spinning her bar stool around just once before gripping the counter and praying she did not throw up inside her helmet. “I think... Garrus and his sister.... must have a good relationship with him. Maybe... you can too.”

“I hadn't really thought about it.” Shepard said thoughtfully and pushed herself up away from the bar. “Tolerant at least.”

“You're bonded to his son... what else could he be?” Tali asked as she steadied herself against the bar once more.

“He could dissolve our bonding contract.” Shepard answered simply.

“Oh...” Tali barely vocalized. She thought about that for a couple of minutes before a thought struck her. “But Garrus marked you, didn't he?”

The quarian watched as the commander's hand reflexively went to the mark high on her left shoulder. Shepard nodded then and rubbed at the scar gently. “Our first night together.”

“Then you have nothing to worry about. Turians bond for life... the paperwork is just... a formality.” Tali nodded and let out a hiccup.

“That formality... means the difference between acceptance into the clan and....” Shepard began softly.

“...and being an outcast. I know.” Tali put her hand on the human's shoulder and pressed her mask against the other's face. Her eyes danced behind the glass as she smiled. She knew Shepard could not see the smile, but she did it all the same. “I really don't think they are going to cast Garrus out of the clan over you. He's too important now.... Plus... isn't he a praetor or something? Doesn't that make him royalty?”

“He's in line for the seat of the Primarch.” Shepard chewed her lower lip. “That doesn't make him royalty, Tali.”

“Sure it does.” Tali said brightly as she slipped off the bar stool and sat down hard on the floor. “Ow.”

“I think you've had enough brandy for tonight.” Shepard huffed a laugh.

“I think... you might be right.” Tali agreed as the commander offered her a hand up. “I think I should... sleep it off.”

“That might be best, but I'd go see Chakwas first.” Shepard nodded as she guided the quarian toward the door.

“Why?” Tali asked as she leaned on the frame.

“Hangover.” was the only word Shepard said before Tali slipped out of the room.

“Right.” Tali grasped onto the idea and wobbled straight toward the medbay.


	22. A Touch of Ambush

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things aren't going quite as Shepard planned with this 'chat over kava and coffee'.

Shepard watched the quarian stagger out of the room and shook her head. She thought this might have been the first time she had seen the younger woman drunk. Her tongue was certainly much more free in an intoxicated state. She had to admit, Tali had hit on some valid points. Anderson had always been a role model to live up to.

Thoughts turning back to her bondmate and his family, she drained her glass. Castis Vakarian was a wild card. She was not sure of her position with him. Normally she could tell right away, but that turian had stumped her from the first moment she had met him. He seemed to calculate and ponder her every move. Every word was analyzed and cataloged. She was not sure exactly how she felt about that. It was something she tended to do to those around her. It was never directed at her unless it was done by a superior officer. Even then it was rare.

Stepping behind the bar, she cleaned up the two glasses quickly before leaving the room. Food was what she needed. Garrus would be in the mess soon, if not already there. His father would likely be there as well. Chakwas might well keep Solana in medical until she was certain the turian woman was not in any danger.

Those were the thoughts that followed her out of the room. Heading around the corner, past one of the crew restrooms, she noticed it was exceedingly quiet. She could hear the ship's core thrumming softly as she moved down the hall and into the mess. Garrus sat at the table closest to the kitchenette with his father. There was no sign of Solana. The woman might still be too far out of it.

“So the Illusive Man really believes he can control Reapers.” Garrus said as she came toward their table. His voice took on an angry quality as he was clearly reliving the nightmare that was Sanctuary. “ _Husks_ are one thing... but a whole fleet? The man is insane.”

His father watched him closely, undoubtedly taking note of the nuances in his son's behavior. The man glanced up at Shepard and held his cup up toward her. “Join us, please, Commander. We were just having some kava.”

Shepard groaned inwardly and gave him a nod and a smile as she waved a hand vaguely toward the kitchenette. She was going to need a lot of coffee to shake off the affects of several glasses of bourbon. _Strong coffee._.. The smell hit her in the same instant as the thought. There was coffee in the pot and by the smell of it, she knew who had made it. _I love you, Joker. Damn, you make the strongest sludge on the ship... and right now, that's exactly what I need._

“A lot of turians went to Sanctuary. When I meet the Illusive Man, I'm going to _carve_ their names into his _skull_.” Garrus was on the edge of a righteous snarl when she came back to the table with a steaming cup of Joker's sludge.

“Don't you think that's a little extreme, son?” Castis asked and froze at the glare that Garrus granted him.

After a moment, Garrus turned his gaze back to her and the hard look in his eyes soften. Shepard wondered what his father thought of the red flash within his right pupil. _Does he realize that eye is cybernetic? Would it matter if he does?_ She sincerely doubted it. Everyone past consenting age had some kind of implant these days. For most, it was simply a communications device. For others, it was much more complicated than that.

“He's right. The Illusive Man is gonna pay for what he's done.” Shepard said over the rim of her coffee. “If Garrus gets to him first...”

“I can't believe you'd condone that kind of.... _brutality_.” Castis snapped, his mandibles flared downward slightly in shock.

“I didn't say I was gonna let him _actually_ carve names into the man's skull...” Shepard gave him an arched eyebrow. “...but I'll be more than happy to let him take out a little.... _aggression_.”

“What about the intel?” Castis asked, leaning forward. His hands folded around his mug. “What about _justice?_ ”

“By the time we reach him, we'll have all the intel we need.” Shepard stated and took a sip of her coffee. It was strong enough to cause her eyes to water just a little. She realized, the moment she locked eyes with Castis, that she was going to need buckets of the stuff to make it through this conversation.

“Justice will be served the second he takes his last breath.” Garrus said coldly.

“Sounds more like revenge.” Castis muttered and pressed his scalloped mug against his mouth.

“The Alliance will execute him as a war criminal. You know that, Dad..... So will the rest of the galaxy.” Garrus began and glanced over at his father. “What difference does it make.... _how_ he meets his end? …Or where...”

“Judge, jury and executioner then, son? Is that how I raised you? Is that what your mother would expect from you?” Castis set his mug down and glared at his son.

Garrus leaned back in his chair, head tucked downward into his cowl a bit more than usual. The first part of what he said was soft and remorseful, but the rest seemed almost ruthless. “No... it's not.... but I'm still putting a bullet in his head.”

Shepard opened her mouth to say something the moment the younger turian stood and glanced at his father in obvious irritation. He picked up his mug and stopped to make eye contact with her briefly before he took a step away from the table.

“I've... got some things to do. Meet you later?” Garrus said quietly as he reached out and ran a gloved talon over her cheek to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

Shepard nodded, making note of the fact that he did not mention their quarters. His father knew they were together, but she suspected the man did not realize just how deep their connection really was. He might not know that they had filed a bonding contract. She watched Garrus walk toward the battery before turning her attention back to his father.

“He seems... angrier than I remember... Much more.....” Castis began and scratched at a mandible.

“Stressed might be the word you're looking for. We're all feeling it. Too many missions, not enough downtime. I'm trying to get that sorted before this next push.” Shepard offered.

“Yes, I can see the stress in how he's practically stomping up that ramp.” Castis nodded and ran a finger over his upper mouth plates, just beneath his nose.

“Go easy on him. He'll do what needs done.” Shepard suggested quietly as she took another sip of her very strong coffee.

“And you're orders? Will he still follow them... as your bondmate?” Castis asked, his muddy green eyes searching hers out.

“That won't be a problem.” she answered simply.

“I hope you're right.” Castis let out a deep resonating growled along with the sigh of frustration that escaped him.

“Well, hello.... and who might you be?” came a distinctive female voice from just behind the turian.

Shepard glanced up and could not contain the groan that slipped over the rim of her coffee cup. Nana stopped just behind Castis, the asari baby on her hip. The commander had successfully put that child out of her mind during this last run. Now it was drooling and staring at her.

“I've... uh.... I should go....” Shepard was on her feet and nearly spilled her coffee.

“Not so fast, girl. You should introduce us. Don't be rude.” Nana barked, the sparkle in her eyes and the smile on her face gave orders of their own.

Shepard let out a sigh of frustration and sat back down quickly. Both hands gripped her coffee mug and held it firmly against the table. “Nana, this is Castis Vakarian.”

“Oh.... I should have guessed. Same plate structure around the eyes as your bondmate.” Nana hummed as she glanced toward Shepard with a nod. She took a seat not far from them as she eyed the turian. “Yes, I see it now... you're his father, aren't you?”

“Uh... yes...” Castis seemed a little uncomfortable and his attention strayed toward the child in the asari's arms.

“Oh... this is Lydera...” Nana breathed the child's name and a quick, well practiced finger wiped a dribble of drool from the girl's chin.

“Yours?” Castis asked sounding a little curious. His frown confirmed that.

“Oh, no, dear. I'm well past my matron years.” Nana glanced at Shepard from under her hairless brow as she bounced Lydera on her knee. “No, this little jewel is my niece.”

Shepard silently thanked the asari for not revealing the child's lineage. She was not sure how much the elder Vakarian could handle just now. There were only so many surprises that could be justified and a grandchild, step or not, was not one she wanted to spring on him just now.

“Oh... look at you!”

“Oh god...” Shepard said under her breath as her head landed in her hands. She had heard the door to the medbay open behind her, but thought nothing of it.

Solana practically b-lined for Nana and the baby. To Shepard's surprise, and vague horror, the turian woman held her hands out for the baby. A great toothless smile stretched the child's face and Nana shrugged. A moment later, Lydera was on Solana's hip reaching for the flared flanges of her mandibles.

A glance at Castis revealed him rubbing his brow plates with thumb and forefinger. He was giving his daughter a strange sideways look. One mandible was pinned to his jaw, the other raised a little higher and flared slightly. He seemed amused and somewhat stressed at the same time.

“Must you... pick up every baby.... of every species... that you see, Sol?” Castis finally asked.

“Yes!” Solana leaned in, eyes wide and mandibles spread even wider.

“ _Spirits_... no wonder my brow-plates have cracked prematurely.” he grumbled softly.

Shepard suppressed the laugh that slipped out in a faint huff of breath. She sobered the instant he looked up at her. The look on his face was not exactly a hard one, but it was hard to read.

“You're not off the hook yet either...” he pointed a finger at her. “Oh for spirits sake, what do I call you? 'Commander' isn't appropriate. Shepard is... _was_... you're family name....”

“Shepard is fine, sir.” she said simply.

“Hmm... you're bonded to my son. Legal contract or not, that makes you a daughter of the Vakarian clan.” Castis rumbled softly, eyes going back to Solana and the asari baby on her hip. “You humans have strange ideas about the law being affixed to titles. You are _not_ my daughter-in- _law_... Your bond to my son... makes you my _daughter_ by extension. Eventually... I'll need your given name to add to the clan logs.”

“I... um...” Shepard stammered.

“It need not be today.” Castis stated and watched the baby giggle at his daughter. His next question sent her head spinning. “Does Garrus know the child is yours?”

“What...” Shepard breathed, a stricken look on her face she knew she could not hide.

Castis chuckled as the commander cringed. “I was a detective for too many years. I recognize similar features between parents and their children. Her scent is asari, for obvious reasons, but her brow structure, her eye color...”

“He knows.” was all the commander could bring herself to say.

Nodding, Castis returned his attention to the child for a moment. “Before he boarded the first Normandy, I presume.”

“No, dear. The Consort took advantage. The girl was my niece. This child falls under my guidance... for the moment.” Nana came to her rescue.

“I see... and has there been... action taken against Shai'ra?” Castis asked, turning his attention back to Nana.

“She was killed on Thessia. A freak accident more than a year ago.” Nana answered quickly.

“Do you want see your mamma?” Solana crooned at the baby as she moved in closer to Shepard. Her bright blue eyes turned on the commander, a mirror image of her brother's. “There's mamma!”

Before she realized what the turian woman was doing, Shepard found the asari baby firmly planted in her lap. She put her hands on the child's chest and back automatically to prevent her from falling. Her eyes grew wider than she thought possible as she watched the girl.

“I... uh... I... have... no idea what to do with an asari baby.” Shepard admitted breathlessly.

“The same thing you'd do with a human baby, girl.” Nana snapped, but there was a laugh underlying her words.

“ _Nana!_ ” Shepard let out an undignified wail at the elder asari. “I don't know what to do with a _human_ baby either!”

“Well, you better learn, girl. That turian boy of yours is gonna want to raise some babies with you one day.” Nana cackled.

Solana was kneeling down beside them and adjusting Shepard's grip on the baby carefully. “Hold her like this, dear sister. She's not going to break.”

The commander allowed Solana to shift how her hands gripped the child. She even shifted the child more into the crook of her elbow. It felt like the most natural thing once the child was settled. Glancing down at the drooling baby, she could not help the smile that spread across her face. This felt right. Somehow it almost felt a little like an ambush as well.


	23. Precious Moments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus is surrounded by 'family' the moment he steps out of the battery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The muses have scrambled this chapter and my brain along with it. We'll see how it goes.

Garrus paced the main battery enough that he wondered if he might wear a hole in the deck plating. His father was right, he wanted revenge for all the lives TIM had thrown away in the name of research. He knew what he meant to do was tantalizingly close to murder. The humans had a saying... an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a life for a life. He meant to see justice done.

After a moment, he glanced over the twin humps of the thanix cannon and snarled, throwing a small tool kit at the forward bulkhead. “ _I'm not going down this path again!_ ”

Sidonis... the last time he had felt like this, he had been tracking the traitor who had gotten his entire team slaughtered. TIM was so much worse. He recognized the impotent rage for what it was now. There were a great many things he had done on Omega in the name of justice that he was not proud of. He knew Shepard must have read through at least some of that when they took the Shadow Broker down and installed Liara in his place.

Shaking his head, he pushed aside thoughts of murder. He pushed aside memories of the atrocities he himself had committed against criminals. There was no longer a place in his life for that now. He had a mate and if they made it through this war, he meant to have a family with her. There had to be away. He was certain they would find it.

Respectability, he realized, came with a high price. But what it promised him in return, he could never have hoped for during his stay on Omega. That life was well behind him now. If Shepard never learned of some of the things he had done there, he would die a happy turian.

Turning, he headed back out of the battery. What he needed was some downtime. Shy of that, he meant to have a few quiet hours with his mate. They both deserved it after the day they had had. It would be an incredible relief to put this whole mess behind them.

As he walked determinedly down the ramp, he glanced up and froze at the sight. His father was still sitting where he had left him. Nana was sitting beside him, chattering in an animated fashion. Solana was kneeling beside Shepard. That was not what froze him and sent a burst of warmth through his heart; however. Shepard did that. More specifically, the look on her face as she held the asari child Nana had brought on board.

Garrus stood there barely breathing as he watched his bondmate with the child tucked into the crook of her arm. The child had gotten a hold of a loose lock of the commanders hair and was playing with it. As with all babies, she was attempting to bring it to her mouth. Shepard had the lock of hair curled around her finger effectively preventing it from disappearing into that mouth.

That was not quite what held his attention so reverently, however. It was the rapt look on his bondmate's face. The smile she gave that child, the way she looked at it and coed at it... He had never seen that look on her face before. It was the most beautiful expression he had ever seen grace her features. He wanted to see so much more of that. Part of him begged the spirits that they might one day find a way to have a child together. He desperately wanted to give her that. Giving her many reasons to look like that might well become a mission.

When her eyes raised to meet his, his breath caught at the full view of the expression on her face. He knew that look even if he had never seen it on her face. That was the look of motherhood. She was practically glowing with it. He could only imagine how much more intense it might be if she were ever able to look upon a child of their joined blood. That was the day he meant to cling to. It was the moment he would fight to the death for. His mate holding their child, no matter how impossible the idea might seem, sounded like the perfect reason to win this damn war.

Letting out the breath he had sucked in slowly, he continued down the ramp and across the mess toward the table. The rage he had been feeling mere moments ago had simmered down to anger that he tucked away in favor of joining his family. His eyes traced their faces and he nodded at Nana. Even she could be counted as a member of the family now, though not in an official capacity. His eyes narrowed slightly at just how cozy she seemed to be getting with his father.

“Hear from Mordin lately, Natearus?” Garrus purred ever so smoothly.

Garrus nearly chuckled at the look of death the elder asari gave him. Nana grunted and grumbled at him. “You know I haven't, boy. He's busy with that Prothean weapon.”

“Leave them be, little brother.” Solana breathed as she got to her feet and stepped in close to him.

Garrus let a faint rumble of displeasure slip before squatting down beside his bondmate. He was not too happy with the idea of the asari getting so close to his dad. It did not matter who she was or how close. Some part of him resented the idea of someone 'taking his mother's place'. He knew that was a childish notion, but he could not quite shake it. At least not yet.

Turning his attention back to Shepard, he gave her an easy smile, his mandibles flaring faintly as his brow-plates raised a fraction. He reached out a finger toward the child in her lap and was rewarded by little hands grasping it. The child was stronger than she looked. Those little blue hands hauled his toward her face and promptly stuffed the end of his gloved finger into her mouth.

A faint chuckle escaped him as trails of drool ran down the finger to coat his glove. His eyes met those of his bondmate again and he nodded. “This suits you.”

“Is that right?” she asked slyly, her head cocked slightly to the side.

“Hmm...” he hummed with a nod, eyes returning to the child gnawing on the first knuckle of his finger.

“She's teething.” came Liara's voice as she stopped near the kitchen island. “Nana, do you have everything needed for her?”

“I do, dear.” Nana nodded and turned her attention toward the other asari for a moment. “Would you mind taking her for the night?”

“Of course, but...” Liara frowned and eyed Shepard for a moment.

Nana must have picked up on what was clearly going through the other's mind. She shook her head faintly. “It's all in the timing, child. Now... is not the time”

“I see...” Liara said thoughtfully.

“Nana... do you know _why_ Shai'ra... did this?” Shepard asked suddenly as she held onto the child reaching out for Garrus.

“Well, that's the question of the century, isn't it, girl?” Nana breathed quietly. She seemed to think it over for a moment before nodding. “The girl claimed she'd seen what you were meant to become. She left it all in a vid, but that was lost on Thessia. I do remember most of it though.”  
“I... have... a copy of that data.” Liara admitted reluctantly.

“Excuse me?” Shepard glanced up at the blue woman.

“How long?” Garrus growled as the child managed to wrestle her way out of Shepard's grip. He found himself suddenly trying to figure out what to do with the little one clinging to the rim of his cowl.

“Put your arm under her rump, Garrus. You don't want to drop her.” Castis admonished quietly with a faint flaring of his mandibles.

He followed his father's orders and the little one began reaching for his visor. Garrus clicked his tongue at her and waved a finger in front of her. His voice was softer than even he had thought it could become when he spoke to her.

“No... no... _papa's_ visor.” the words clicked into his brain barely a split second after he spoke them and his eyes locked with Shepard's in shock.

_When did that happen? When did I start seeing this baby as mine...?_ It clicked a heartbeat after those questions rocketed through his mind. The child was Shepard's, his bondmate's baby... no matter how she had come to be. He was the child's bond-father. It was different with Grunt. The krogan was already fully grown when Shepard birthed him from his tank. In some strange way, he was a kind of surrogate father to him.

“I... uh... I think... I need a drink.” Garrus blinked and looked down at the child in his arms. She reached up and tugged at his left mandible, eyes locked to him curiously. Those eyes were the mirror image of her mother's”

“I think she likes you... _papa_.” Shepard whispered to him just loud enough that the others very likely heard her.

“Hmm... maybe.” Garrus hummed softly as he wiggled his mandible out of Lydera's grip. “Are we... ready for this?”

“No need to worry about that for the moment, boy. Liara and I will care for the babe while you fight this war. Win it, survive it... and then we'll see how ready the two of you are.” Nana said firmly.

“Asari children develop at half the rate of human children. This child is a three year old... by asari biological standards.” Liara enlightened them as she walked toward Garrus.

“A three year old human child would already be toddling, speaking and feeding itself.” the commander said thoughtfully.

“Shorter lived species develop faster out of necessity. It's an evolutionary survival tactic.” Liara stated as she hoisted the squirming bundle onto her hip.

Garrus let his last question go. He did not think Liara was going to tell either of them just how long she had known about the child in his arms. The baby waved her arms and gave him a huge toothless smile before slapping her small hands down on the rim of his cowl. When Liara stopped before him, he frowned slightly before allowing her to take Lydera. He felt a little lost without the kid's slight weight in his arms the moment she was on the asari's hip.

_What's wrong with you, Vakarian? There's still a war to be won... but... entertaining a fantasy... Maybe that could add a little more... motivation_.

“Would you mind showing us where we'll be staying? I don't know about Solana, but I feel the stress of the day dragging my carapace down.” Castis said suddenly as he stood and tucked Nana's hand in the cook of his elbow.

“I could....” Garrus began, eyes narrowed at the sight.

“Let them go, lover. Your father's a big boy. I think he can handle himself.” Shepard soothed softly as she gently gripped his hand.


	24. Peaceful Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanctuary triggered the nightmare and Shepard finds herself safely tucked into the protection of her turian's arms.

Shepard watched her bondmate in bemusement as he handed the asari baby over to Liara. He seemed a little beside himself with how the moment had played out. She was not quite sure how she felt about it herself. True, the baby was innocent, but that did not excuse what her birth-parent had done. Asari laws were strict about such things. There might come a time when she could look at the child without being reminded of that, but she was not sure. Still, it had been a treat holding her. Watching Garrus with her had been even better. Somewhere deep down, she knew she wanted children with him. She did not think biology was going to cooperate with that longing, however.

Her brows raised the moment Castis tucked Nana's hand into the crook of his elbow. That was an unexpected twist. She was fairly certain Garrus was going to step in and physically separate them. That was the reason she had murmured at his shoulder and taken his hand. If his father decided to take Nana up on her hints, that was his choice. In a way, she thought the man might merely want a little company. Nana had offered to show him around the Normandy, after all. It could simply be an innocent suggestion.

Glancing down at her omni-tool buzzing on the back of her left hand, she opened it. Rolling her eyes with a frustrated sigh, she closed it again. Traynor had taken to notifying her of messages coming into her terminal via omni-tool when she did not appear in the CIC soon enough.

“Something wrong?” Garrus glanced at her and asked quietly.

“I dunno... maybe. I need to check my messages a little more often.” she sighed and put a hand on his shoulder. “I'll head up in a bit. I gotta check on this before Traynor blows up my omni-tool.”

“Hmm...” Garrus hummed with a nod before he followed his father's example and tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow.

Smiling, Shepard realized he meant for them to ride up together. It took them only a couple of minutes to reach the elevator. As was her current habit, she avoided looking at the memorial wall before entering. It did her no good to be reminded of all the names that kept appear on that thing.

The ride up was quiet. She leaned into him until the doors opened on the CIC. With a nod, she stepped out and the doors closed between them. They were both about ready to drop from the last mission.

“Commander, you have a new message at your private terminal.” Traynor stated quickly the second she caught sight of the woman.

“Yeah... that's why I'm here.” she mumbled and headed toward the terminals to the side of the railing.

“Right.” Traynor nodded awkwardly and went back to her own console.

At a touch, the console powered up. She tapped into her email and found skimmed through the unread section. _Hackett... please tell me he's granting us some shore leave_. The headed read 'urgent'. She doubted that was how he would label something as simple as shore leave.

Opening the mail, she scanned over it quickly.

#

_Urgent Message from Admiral Hackett_

_Commander, there's an Alliance researcher working on the Citadel by the name of Dr. Garret Bryson. He has uncovered some unexpected data on the Reapers that might prove useful in this war. I'm officially directing you to support his efforts in deciphering this data. Once the usefulness of his work has been decided, we'll discuss that shore leave your requested._

_S. Hackett, Admiral, Alliance Navy_

#

“Nothing's ever easy...” Shepard sighed softly as she turned toward the elevator.

Glancing over at Traynor, she thought better of it and stepped up to the railing around the galaxy map. She pegged their destination and pinged Joker's comm. Once it was set, she stepped down and headed into the elevator before someone else could drop another order or request in her lap. She hoped this unexpected mission did not take a turn for the worst. Her team needed that downtime. _She_ needed the downtime. Hackett and the rest of the galaxy had to understand they could not win this thing if they were all half dead on their feet.

The elevator took minutes only to reach the upper deck, but she had dozed off standing in the corner. That was apparently how her bondmate found her. At his urging, she blinked back the gritty feeling in her eyes and pushed away from the corner that had become her refuge. He guided her into their quarters and the second her knees buckled in exhaustion, he swung her up into his arms. She did not argue when he carried her down the stairs. Instead, she rested her head against his cowl.

Shepard was barely aware of him setting her down on the edge of the bed. She murmured her inability to function and he simply nodded. He carefully helped her strip down to a tank top and shorts before encouraging her to crawl under the covers. The moment she was down, she virtually blanked out for a time.

The moment the nightmare triggered, she knew it's source. Sanctuary had been exactly what Garrus referred to as a 'nightmare factory'. She found herself in that burned out forest once more. The park bench stood behind her. Refusing to participate, she dropped down on that bench, rested her elbows on her knees and clasped her hands between them.

“I'm done with this.” she grumbled and shook her head. “I'm not chasing you anymore.”

The air seemed to change, but there was no wind. She heard the Reapers blaring in the distance. Ashes fell all around her. Still she refused to so much as look up at her surroundings. The voices that always intruded on the silence here grew loud as thunder for a few heartbeats. They grew silent when a glowing... something stopped before her.

Looking up, her eyes traced the fabric of the boy's clothes to his face. He was the source of the glow and he stood before her. His eyes were searching hers in determination. She thought she would joint awake then, but she remained rooted to the spot. Even as his hands reached out and gripped either side of her face, she remained.

“You must follow. You have no choice.” the boy said, his voice eerie and carrying the tones of multiple beings. Instead of flames, it was a near blinding white energy that engulfed him then.

Shepard jolted awake then, her breath catching at the lingering sensation of fingers on her cheeks. Looking around the room, she reassured herself that she was still on the Normandy. Garrus lay sprawled on his belly, drooling on his pillow. The comforter draped over the middle of his back and the upper thigh of one leg. The rest was exposed. His feet hanging off the edge of the bed. She knew the turian was sound asleep from the deep reedy sounds that passed between his mandibles.

Allowing reality to slowly sink in as she watched him, Shepard smiled faintly. She ran a hand over the bulge of the bicep nearest her and reveled in the solid, warm feel of him. His forearm was tucked under the pillow he was drooling on. A faint grunt escaped him and faded into an almost congested sounding growl. She frowned at that sound.

“You better not be sick.” she grumbled softly at his sleeping form.

Garrus murmured something in his sleep and eased over toward her. She slid back down under the covers and his arms slithered around her. He tucked her close as she nestled the side of her face into the hollow of his throat.

“That's... better......” he breathed softly and she could feel his mandibles flaring against the top of her head. “Not sick... just chilled.....”

“I thought you were asleep.” she said quietly.

“Was... heard the nightmare... waste... of good.... sleep....... ma-kee-sa.... Got your six....” his voice grew softer until his breathing deepened again.

The turian's arms relaxed around her only a fraction, but she did not mind. She had never felt caged or restricted in his arms. Quite the opposite actually. She felt safe in his arms, secure. It was the kind of protected feeling she had craved with other partners, but never received. Her bondmate was all about making her feel as secure and protected as he possibly could. It was one of the many things she loved about him. He never failed to provide exactly what she needed. She realized that was because he loved her just as much as she loved him.

Tucking herself in just a little closer, she worried about him and what was to come. She knew as well as he did that they might not both make it out the other side of this thing. He had reminded her a few times that turians bonded for life. _What will happen if I don't make it? What will he do? God, I hope he moves on eventually, but... I know he won't. He won't be able to. Maybe... aahhh... maybe that baby will make things easier for him... if this war goes sideways. He could raise her. There's something of me in her... somewhere. Some essence that's mine_.

Shepard knew she should talk to him about this. She should make her wishes known. If there was even the slightest flicker of hope, she knew he would not let her go. He needed to know that she wanted to rest. If the worst happened, she wanted peace. _Please don't let them bring me back again. You'll let me rest, won't you, my love? If I'm gone, just.... let me go. Let me rest_.

Shifting, she looked up at him, searching his sleeping face. He would do whatever it took, she knew that. Would he fight just as hard to ensure her the peace she longed for? That she could not say for sure, but she knew... She knew he would fight to ensure she had a chance at a peaceful life... at his side. Maybe that would be enough.

Garrus let out a faint purring sound as she tucked her head against his throat once more. He was not as sound asleep as she had thought. On some level he must sense that she was still somewhat stressed. She realized he must feel it in the muscles pressed against his body. Once the stress grabbed hold of her, it was hard to convince it to release her. Sometimes even lying in his arms did not quite break her free of it. It did help, however, and she knew she would never trade the feeling of his arms around her for anything in the universe.

Relaxing against him, she turned her mind toward happier thoughts. Dreams, daydreams, half imagined scenarios where they retired and raised a family together... Those were the things she filled her mind with as she drifted toward sleep once more.

The turian hummed very softly, his sub-harmonics singing that lullaby to her he often did when she had nightmares. She could almost discern the words beneath the lower frequencies of the dual-tones. It was a soothing melody and her eyelids began to droop after just a few notes.


	25. Murder Most Foul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus isn't completely prepared for what they find at Bryson's lab.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have an oddball weekend chapter.... because I'm bored and frustrated with real life.

Garrus moaned at the sound of Joker's voice when he came over the comm in their quarters. He blinked the sleep from his eyes tiredly. Sitting up, he allowed the covers to pool around his knees. The words coming out of him were barely more than an irritated growl. “Can't he call us via an omni-tool?”

“I think he enjoys interrupting us.” Shepard moaned back as she threw the covers back.

“We just cleared the Widow Relay. Next stop... the Citadel.” Joker's voice came over the comm once more sounding far too perky for the early hour.

“Understood, Joker. We need a cab to Dr. Bryson's laboratory.” Shepard said as she climbed to her feet and stretched. Her attention turned to the turian coming around the foot of the bed toward her and she smiled, holding a hand out for his. “C'mon, lover. Let's get a shower.”

That shower did not take them long. Even the almost ritualistic oiling of the turian's plating seemed to fly by. Garrus relished those stolen moments of renewed bonding as she worked the oil into his carapace. Normally he would watch her in the mirror as she worked. The missing mirror this morning was a reminder of her recent breakdown. He sincerely hoped the Alliance replaced that if Hackett authorized their shore leave.

Before long, they were getting into a cab and heading for Dr. Bryson's lab. He felt naked in civvies as he sat beside Shepard. She was in fatigues. No need for armor on the Citadel, at least under normal circumstances. They were both still packing pistols. Nearly everyone did these days. The coup had taught them all a hard lesson. The Citadel might seem safe, but that security was little more than an illusion.

The second the cab landed in the small courtyard, he and Shepard climbed out. She had wanted to make this trip solo and he had balked at the idea. He rarely let her out of his sight these days. Whenever he did, things tended to go sideways. He had reminded her of that fact before dawning civvies and staying on her six all the way to the airlock.

Now they walked into Bryson's lab together and he could not help the curious roving of his eyes. The place was like a botanical garden and a science museum rolled up in one. They heard the man before they ever saw him. He was discussing something with a colleague. The turian scanned the area for the man and quickly located him.

“...I want you to match this against all known locations and update the map. Then contact the field teams for a progress report.” the man himself was saying from the far left just beneath the balcony of the upper level.

“Yes, sir!” another man, tucked even further beneath that structure, barked as he keyed in the data at a console.

“Ah, Commander Shepard. We've been expecting you.... Just a moment.” The doctor turned at the sound of Shepard's foot scuffing softly behind him. He turned back toward his assistant with a nod. “Hadley, could you gather the leviathan data for us?”

“I'll have that ready in a few minutes.” Hadley said with a nod.

Bryson turned back toward Shepard, his eyes falling on Garrus for a moment and narrowing faintly. He held a hand out indicating they should join him before turning to walk around a series of instruments. “Apologies, Commander, the rest of my team is out investigating leads right now. I'm Dr. Garret Bryson and this is Task Force Aurora.”

“What's your assignment?” Shepard asked as the man lead them into a room with a galaxy map and a myriad of other equipment.

“We're.... investigating legend, rumors... old stories of the Reapers...” the older man shook his head with a smile. It looked odd on such a stern face. “I know how that must sound.”

“Legends... are usually rooted in truth. It might be distorted over time, but...” Garrus nodded.

“That's right... and we're looking that seed of truth, investigating any leads that might turn up artifacts.” the doctor nodded.

“I really don't think anyone can doubt the Reapers exist.... not now, at least.” Shepard said softly.

“No, I supposed we can't, but the Alliance is still desperate for intelligence. Reaper motives, their operational tactics... anything that can give us an edge.” Bryson let out a tired sigh as he stopped in the middle of the room before the galaxy map.

“And how did you wind up in charge?” Shepard asked, crossing her arms.

“Call it a personal challenge. The rest of the galaxy might claim something doesn't exist, something legend says was critically important to an entire cycle... I see that as a chance to prove that it does.”

“The Reapers... could have stayed a legend.” Garrus muttered as he moved around the room curiously.

“So you're in it for that challenge.” Shepard tilted her head to the side slightly.

“Yes, that and the truth.” the doctor nodded and turned toward a wall of connected images. It reminded Garrus of a forensics board. “Even as late as 2148, still thought aliens were a myth. That was within _my_ lifetime.”

Garrus stood a little taller as the doctor's eyes locked on his face for a moment. He knew, as a scientist, this man had not seen action during the First Contact War. The man was certainly old enough to remember it, however. He suspected that was why he glanced at him cautiously from time to time.

“I... uh... I don't _feel_ like a myth.” Garrus could not resist the opportunity to let a snarky comment slip as he put a hand to his chest.

“And that's my point. Once that _myth_ was proven to be a reality, our entire history changed.” the doctor nodded and turned toward that wall of information.

“Reapers were part of that reality, too.” Shepard said with a nod, arms still crossed.

The turian watched her for a moment. She was uncomfortable with this man, guarded. He thought maybe it had something to do with the fact that he was a scientist. He could not blame her. After all, scientists had raised her from the grave. Her caution was to be expected.

“But even they have a history, Commander. If we can just uncover it, there may be a weakness we can exploit.” the doctor turned back to lock eyes with the commander.

Shepard's eyes narrowed at the man and his clear enthusiasm for the project. “I could have used your help three years ago.”

“Yes, if people had paid more attention to your Prothean beacon, we might be in this war.” the man nodded before turning toward the galaxy map. “But now, with new information we've uncovered, a breakthrough is near.”

The commander moved away from him slightly as she took up a data pad and scanned it. Neither of seemed to notice the assistant heading toward the room. They were expecting the man to bring that data the doctor requested earlier. Garrus barely gave the man a passing glance as he entered the room.

“Hadley, do you have the data?” the doctor asked, glancing up from the console before the galaxy map.

“No.” the man said coldly. He leveled a pistol at the doctor's chest, firing a heart shot before it even registered what he was about to do.

Dr. Bryson dropped like a sack of rocks. Everything seemed to slow down as the assistant turned his weapon toward Shepard. Garrus was moving toward them even as Shepard rushed the man. She knocked his weapon away as she tackled him. The second the man hit the floor, the turian pinned him there.

Shepard tapped the implant beside her ear. “This is Commander Shepard. I need C-Sec at my location now!”

“You shouldn't be here... the darkness can't be breached....” the man said, staring off into space vacantly.

The lack of... anything in the man's eyes was seriously disturbing Garrus more than he thought it could. He stood and hauled the man up with him. There was no resistance as he half dragged him to a chair. The moment he released the man, a pair of turians he knew stepped into the lab. He nodded at them.

One of them scanned the man's hand-print. He did not resist them. The man simply sat there, staring blankly at the dead doctor lying a few feet away.

“Transit records show his name is Derek Hadley. He's worked here for a couple months.” Velus said as he looked the data over.

“Shepard. I monitored a C-Sec alert from this location. Were either of you harmed?” EDI came through the doorway then.

“We're fine.” Shepard said, turning toward the synthetic woman as she crossed the room. “But we could use your help sorting this out, EDI. Take a look through their files. I need to know what this task force was up to.”  
“At once.” EDI acknowledged and headed toward the information in question.

“What... I...” Hadley barked in confusion and looked around wildly. “What's... happening?”  
“You... just killed a man.” Garrus muttered from a short distance away. It was clear the man had not heard him.

Shepard stopped before him, waving a hand toward the body before crossing her arms again. “Explain... this.”

“I... I was gathering our data when you arrived... and then... It was dark... cold... like I was... someplace else.” Hadley still seemed unsure of his surroundings as he looked around.

“And then?” Shepard prompted.

“I don't know. A... gun was in my hand. Dr. Bryson... there was a loud noise.” Hadley was nearly in a panic.

“ _That._.. was you shooting him!” Shepard said coldly.

Hadley's eyes locked on the body and the pool of blood around it. He was out of his chair in an instant, his hands on the doctor's chest. The assistant was wailing with his next breath. “ _I didn't do it! It wasn't me! You have to believe that!_ ”

“So... someone else pulled that trigger?” Garrus drawled in disbelief. “Even though... we both _saw you_ do it?”

“But I would never do that!” Hadley insisted and put a hand to his head.

“Commander, this does resemble reports of indoctrination.” EDI spoke up from her examination of the task force's information.

“Indoctrination? Me?” Hadley asked as he finally got to his feet.

“What about that leviathan Dr. Bryson mentioned?” Garrus drew the line of question toward the data at that idea. He knew there was a connection, he could almost smell it.

“How does that tie in?” Shepard asked thoughtfully.

“It's.... some kind of creature. Our field teams have been tracking it.” Hadley answered as he began pacing. He turned to look at the sphere within the force field. “That artifact came in from our researcher, Garneau. He sent an audio log if you wanna – ”

The man did not get the chance to finish, he double over and screamed an instant later. Hands gripping his head, he sank to his knees. It was one of the most anguished screams Garrus thought he had ever heard from a human. It shot straight through his skull like an arrow.

“Hey! What is it? What's wrong?” Shepard reached out, but did not touch the man.

The scream ceased just as quickly as it had begun. Hadley looked up at her, that blank look had returned to his eyes. “Turn back.”

“What are you talking about?” Shepard asked, looking sideways at the man.

“The darkness cannot be breached.” was all the man said before he collapsed to the floor bonelessly.

“Dammit... get him over to the clinic. See if they can tell us what's wrong with him.” Shepard grumbled as she took a step back from him.

“Yes, ma'am.” Velus said as he motioned to Epitis to help him. Between them, they lifted the human and carried him out to their car.

Garrus knew C-Sec procedure like the back of his hand. There would be another unit along shortly to take Bryson's body in for examination. He wondered what they might do if it turned out that Hadley really was indoctrinated. There were no procedures on the books to handle that kind of thing.


	26. Searching for Garneau

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard had to admit, Garrus was better equipped to chase down the kinds of clues they were searching for in that lab.

“Commander, you'll want to see this.” EDI looked up at her from the research data she was logging. “It's an outgoing message from Dr. Bryson to Admiral Hackett.”

Shepard stepped over toward the synthetic woman and the monitor before her just as the audio began. She frowned at the image and crossed her arms. There were bound to be a great many messages between the two me, she realized. They had been in contact for sometime, after all.

“Dr. Bryson, you have an update?” Hackett asked.

“Admiral, the leviathan of Dis that we've been investigating – I think we're really onto something.” the doctor turned his head and glanced to his left. Shepard realized he must have been glancing at that sphere.

Hackett clasped his hands behind his back and assumed a parade rest position. “Give me the brief.”

“About twenty years ago, the batarians discovered a Reaper corpse that had died in battle. They covered it up and denied it ever existed.” the doctor said as he paced toward the screen. “But I'm intrigued by the larger implication.”

“What could have killed the Reaper in the first place?” Hackett's voice was full of open curiosity.

“Exactly. That's the _real_ leviathan.” Bryson said excitedly.

“It's worth pursuing.” Hackett said as he crossed his arms and rubbed his fingers across his mouth. “Continue your investigation and update me on the progress.”

“There is also a follow up message from a few weeks later.” EDI said as she pulled up the next message.

“Admiral.” Bryson said, pacing back and forth in front of the monitor. “The Reapers are shadowing my field teams as if they're hunting the leviathan themselves. Whatever it is, I believe leviathan is nothing less than a Reaper killer – almost an apex predator – and it has them nervous. If we could just find it. Imagine the impact on the war. I'm formally requesting assistance in tracking it down.”

“You'll have it. This is now your top priority, Doctor. Find that thing.” Hackett said as the message ended.

“It appears we were meant to be that assistance.” EDI stated as she continued to scan data.

“Anything capable of killing a Reaper could do a lot of collateral damage.” Garrus stated as he moved in a little closer.

“That's why we need to find it.” Shepard nodded.

“Given the state of the conflict, I believe the saying 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend' may be relevant.” EDI stated.

“But we won't know until we find it.” Shepard agreed thoughtfully.

“Bryson did mention they recently received a log from their field researcher. It may yield more information.” EDI reminded her.

Shepard pushed herself off the console and began looking around the room. Her attention was drawn directly toward the sphere in the case. There was something about it, something that almost seemed to pull at her. Sitting on a table before it was a data pad. It was on, a heading at the top blinking with the name Hadley gave them earlier.

“This must be the artifact the assistant mentioned. And here's the log.” she barely glanced at the log before her eyes returned to that sphere. Garrus must have noticed something was off because his large hand closed gently on her shoulder a few seconds later.

Glancing up at him, she gave him a confused look before nodding. Something told her there was more to that artifact than met the eye. It might be better to put some distance between it and herself. She keyed the data pad's audio message as she stepped away from the sphere.

“Dr. Bryson, it's Garneau. I'm sending you an artifact I found. About the only thing I found there, in fact. Maybe it's nothing, but – I'd swear leviathan came through here. I'm gonna crunch some numbers, burn up the rest of this project travel allowance. Maybe I can project our Reaper-killer's movements. I'll check in when I get to the next site.”

“Garneau appears to be our best lead to tracking the leviathan, but he does not state a destination.” EDI stated as she walked toward the commander and stopped.

“Let's focus on what he does say, then.” Shepard's mind was already chewing on the idea.

“He mentioned extrapolating leviathan's path.” EDI said, pointing toward the galaxy map.

“And crunching numbers.” Garrus drawled quietly.

“He wasn't flying blind. He had data.” Shepard agreed.

“A significant amount of data, judging by this office.” EDI said as she glanced around.

“But... where's the starting point?” Garrus grumbled as he walked over to the galaxy map, eyes narrowing against the brightness.

“Exactly. How do we narrow it all down?” Shepard sighed and glanced toward her bondmate. She watched as he stroked a few keys on the console before the galaxy map cautiously.

The turian rumbled softly in thought as he gently scratched his scarred mandible. She left him to it and looked around the room. What they needed were some clues. If they could figure out where Garneau was, they might be able to locate where he was headed.

Shepard moved toward the far side of the display case and frowned at the artifact behind the glass. “Is this Prothean?”

“Yes. I believe Dr. Bryson and Liara would have much to discuss.” EDI supplied.

“If he was still breathing...” Shepard sided.

“Prothean artifacts... sounds like a good starting point in our search.” Garrus rumbled and keyed in some information on the console.

EDI continued to archive the data files on the other side of the room. Apparently there was a lot more data in those files than the commander had first thought. Whatever was in there, she could almost bet there would be something useful.

Moving around the room, she looked for anything out of place. Anything that might lend a clue to where Garneau might have gone. She stopped before the severed head of a husk. Gasping, she jumped back a fraction when the thing virtually hissed at her. Without a body it could not produce sound as it strained forward. She took note of the fact that it looked more like the altered soldiers Cerberus had been creating than an actual husk. Its mouth was free of the wires and circuitry she had come to associate with a true husk.

“You alright?” Garrus asked from his position at the galaxy map, eyes locked on her. Glancing back at him, she nodded and stepped aside for him to see what had startled her. “ _Spirits_... that's... just... _morbid_.”

After a moment, she moved away from the table full of weird experiments. She walked toward the corner nearest the door and looked the images on the monitor over. EDI stepped up beside her then and pointed out their significance.

“These are all murders in which the accused lacked a known motive and claimed memory loss.” EDI enlightened her as she thumbed through a couple of files on the table.

“Just like Bryson's assistant. You think Garneau was following a trail of blackout crimes?” Shepard asked thoughtfully.

“It is possible. We need to find data matching dates and locations of crimes of this nature.” EDI nodded. Shepard noted that the AI was picking up human habits quickly.

Reaching over to another device on the L-shaped table, Shepard punched a couple of keys. “I think we've got that information right here.”

Garrus stepped away from the galaxy map a moment after keying in a bit more information. The commander was fairly certain he must have added another filter to the search parameters. He followed her through the glass doors and looked up at the skeleton of a long dead Earth dinosaur.

“This place is.... really something else.” he murmured as he examined the creature.

“Loch Ness monster?” Shepard asked skeptically.

“Plesiosaur.” EDI supplied.

“Loch Ness monter's more interesting.” Shepard huffed a faint laugh and looked back up at the suspended skeleton. She could see why her ancestors had called it a monster.

“Interesting and non-existent.” EDI reminded her.

“I don't know... it looks pretty real to me.” Garrus said as he studied it a moment longer.

Searching the lab and adjoining area revealed so much more information than Shepard had thought they would find. It seemed as if they might actually be able to pinpoint Garneau's last known coordinates. There was even data on the Thorian in the archives scattered around the lab. They even found information regarding unexplained creature sightings. It seemed the doctor had been attempting to extrapolate leviathan's location along that path.

The thing that gave the commander the most pause was the chunk of Sovereign standing in the middle of it all. When they had first entered, she had not recognized it. Now she could not imagine how she had not seen what it was. As she drew near it, she froze and moved away immediately. There was a sense of malice still lingering around the scrap.

Moving away from that scrap of debris, she found another table in the room with a holo messager. She did not recognize the voice on the other end when Bryson's miniature image appeared. There were claims of an encryption key and the doctor keeping close to his heart.

“Close to his heart... what the hell does that mean?” Shepard murmured and glanced into the other room where the doctor's body remained untouched. C-Sec had yet to return for it.

Shepard realized the man had been completely obsessed when she entered a room that turned out to be a bathroom. There were books stacked around the toilet and papers all but covered the sink counter. Everything contained within was somehow related to leviathan.

Coming out of that bathroom, she noticed the stairs leading up. The optical illusion heading toward the bathroom had made them appears as if they were merely a part of the wall. She followed them up into a tiny sleeping area. On a table tucked into the corner, she found a piece of childish artwork and something began to click. There were numbers scrawled all over it along with the child's age.

“EDI, do you think this could be our decryption key?” Shepard asked after realizing the woman had followed her up the stairs.

“I believe so. The numbers are consistent with a numeric encryption key.” EDI said as she scanned the paper.

It did not take EDI long to extrapolate their destination. Garrus stood by, watching as C-Sec finally showed up to remove the body. The look on his face told Shepard he was relieved that the had not needed to search the man for the encryption key. She found she agreed with that idea. Her first thought had not been a pleasant one. She had worried they might need to cut him open to get that key. His mention of keeping it 'close to his heart' had concerned her greatly.


	27. Entering T-GES

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now entering the weirdo express.

Once they were armed with the information they needed, they returned to the Normandy. Things were moving along quickly with this mission. At least that was how it felt to Shepard. No sooner had they cleared the relay than she and her team were piled into a shuttle heading for an asteroid.

“We're about five minutes out, Commander.” Cortez informed them.

“What exactly is on this asteroid?” Shepard asked as she gripped one of the personnel handles above her head.

“Mining facility.” Cortez stated and pulled up an image on his console. “T-GES Mineral Works. Small operation. Could be a good place for leviathan to hide.”

“We've already reviewed EDI's notes from Bryson's lab. Any questions?” Shepard asked her team, looking from Garrus to James expectantly.

Garrus stood and took the two steps to stop before her. “Is there a clearer idea of what this leviathan was?”

“Not really. We know it killed a Reaper.” Shepard shook her head faintly.

“It's Bryson's partner we're here after, no?” James asked. He seemed a little confused.

“Right. We find Garneau, we find leviathan.” Shepard said hoping that would clear the confusion for the man. “This thing is powerful enough to take down a Reaper, but hiding from the war.... Why?”

“Let's hope Garneau... has the answers we need.” Garrus said quietly.

“I'm reading Reaper signatures scattered throughout the asteroid field, Commander. This could be a bumpy ride.” Cortez alerted her as his hands danced across the console before him.

“Bryson said they were shadowing his field teams.” Shepard nodded.

“As much as I _hate_ to say this... Reapers in the area might be a _good_ sign.” Garrus said, there was a pained look pinning his mandibles to his face.

“That's not something you hear every day.” Cortez grumbled.

“Take us in.” Shepard gave the order reluctantly. She knew what was at stake here. “Don't go anywhere, Cortez. We'll grab this guy and be right out.”

The second the shuttle touched down, Shepard was out of the hatch. Her team followed quickly. Each one scanned a different direction looking for any apparent threats. The coast seemed clear for the moment.

“Keep me updated on the Reaper situation.” Shepard order through her comm.

“Yes, Commander.” Cortez said calmly.

There was an open lift straight ahead of them and Shepard headed for it. What they were looking for had to be below the landing platform. All eyes fell on the scene blow as the lift dropped slowly.

“ _Crap_... and I was hoping this would be a quick in and out kind of mission.” Garrus grumbled as he took cover the moment the lift stopped.

“Scouting party.” Shepard said in a blasé kind of tone.

“And it sounds like they brought some friends.” Garrus let out an irritated sigh.

“You could say that... Brute at 2 o'clock!” Shepard snapped as she gathered her biotic energy.

The commander let out a yell before she blasted forward in a stream of light toward the enemy. She had learned over the last months not to question the almost instinctive use of skills she had never actually learned as an Adept. There was no doubt in her mind that this particular skill was generally associated with Vanguard training. Even Garrus had mentioned it once or twice. She just did not have an answer for him beyond Cerberus and their possible alterations. Somehow she was the same and yet so very different from the Shepard who had died over Alchera. Sometimes she wondered if she was even the same woman. Garrus, she was sure, would know. _But we were never intimate before I died. How does he really know? How_ _ **can**_ _he?_ She shoved those questions aside as she brought her fists down on the marauder who stepped between her and the brute.

The marauder went down in a screech of turian and mechanical tones as its neck snapped under the force of her hit. She backed up from the brute as it bore down on her. There was no desire in her to repeat the same kind of 'performance' that had occurred on Sanctuary. Being trapped under one of those smelly, hulking monsters once was more than enough for her.

It continued to pursue her even as she noticed the second one stumbling out the nearby door. She realized she had few choices here. Tapping a button on her omni-tool, she released the blade and ran at the brute. With a yell, she stepped up on the downed marauder. She launched herself into the air and the burst of biotic power she had gathered. Her aim was true, the blade cleaved cleanly through its spindly neck. The beast went down with a hard thump mere seconds after its head slid from its shoulders. She landed with a roll on the other side of it.

The second brute went down just shy of reaching her. It skidded across the walkway with a smoking hole through its left eye. Shepard glanced over her shoulder with a smile for her bondmate. Five hundred yards and he was still a dead shot. She could not ask for a better sniper... or a better protector.

The brute had barely come to a full stop before she was climbing over it and heading up the stairs. There was a small landing there with a couple of crates sitting near the door. As she approached that door, she heard it. The last marauder went down with a round from her pistol tearing through the side of its head. The moment it dropped, she glanced back at her team. Garrus was already moving in her direction. Clearly his visor had shown no further targets.

“Let's get Garneau before the serious troops arrive.” Shepard said as they made their way to her.

“The people here must be scared out of their minds.” James said as he looked down at the last brute to fall.

“Let's hope there are still people here to _be_ scared.” Garrus muttered as he stepped around the hulking corpse.

“We'll know soon enough.” Shepard nodded and keyed the door. It did not open.

Garrus stepped up beside her and gave her a look that simply said, 'I've got this'. His fingers danced over the round keypad. She still marveled at the speed and dexterity in those digits. A moment later, the door slid open.

The corridor was dim with small chunks of rock strewn across the floor. It was something she might have expected to see in an ancient mining facility. There were a couple of monitors to either side of the next door scrolling blue script. She did not pay much attention to those as she headed for the door between them.

“Welcome to T-GES Mineral Works. All guests need to sign in at reception.” came the too perky male voice of the system's VI as the door opened.

Things seemed normal enough as they entered. There were people moving about within the facility. The thing that stood out most to her was the lack of chaos. These people were far too calm.

“They're taking it pretty well... don't you think?” Garrus said, tilting his head slightly to the side as he watched them moving about their business.

“Yeah...” Shepard said softly as she stepped through the door.

Every set of eyes in the room turned toward her and her team the second they heard the scuff of their boots. Silence descended on the entire room as the people stared. It sent the icy fingers of dread racing right up Shepard's spine as she made eye contact with those closest to them.

After a few seconds, she spotted registration and touched Garrus' arm with a nod. He and James remained just inside the doorway as she headed straight toward the pair behind the glass. They stopped what they were doing and looked up at her. The same disquieting look in their eyes as the others.

“I'm Commander Shepard of the Alliance. You just had Reaper troops attacking your front door.” she stated brusquely. The moment she pointed back over her shoulder, her team moved in slowly. Something felt off here.

“Are they still there?” the seated man asked sounding almost as if he were caught in a dreamy state.

“We've taken care of them for now.” Shepard stated with a faint frown.

“I see. That will be all.” the one standing stated with the same lackluster tone.

“That... will be...?” Shepard asked incredulously. She could not believe these idiots were dismissing her. Glancing at her team, she turned back toward the men in the booth. Leaning in, she made herself known once more. “Hello?”

Garrus had moved off to her left and glanced at her, clearing his throat before poking a big green button in the wall. It let out a faint call tone at his touch. Both men in the booth looked up.

“Yes. Welcome to T-GES Mineral Works. How can we help you?” the seated man said in that strange, dreamy tone.

“Yes. For the tour, please sign in.” the other took up the welcome a half heartbeat later in the same tone.

“There... are _Reapers_... _here_ , on this asteroid... and you're not _worried_ about that? Am I missing something here?” Shepard barked at the strange men.

The commander glared at them, looking each one in the eyes. The entire world seemed to jolt for her each time she made that eye contact. Somehow, they reminded her of Hadley back on the Citadel. Their eyes seemed just as blank, almost vacant. It was disorienting.

“T-GES Mineral Works is a small to mid-level supplier of tungsten to the galaxy.” the standing man stated in that emotionless voice. Shepard corrected herself, it seemed more like a soulless voice.

A faint grunt of frustration escaped her at that statement. It was so off-base to the question she had just asked. “That's not what I asked.”

“Are you familiar with the applications of tungsten?” the standing man asked as if her questions were running along some scripted course.

“Look, we're wasting time. I'm looking for a researcher, Dr. Garneau. He would have arrived within the last couple weeks. If he's still here, I need to speak with him.” Shepard sighed and leaned on the exposed section of counter before the two men.

“We have no Dr. Garneau.” the seated man intoned.

“Do you need to see a doctor?” the standing man asked in that same infuriating tone.

“How 'bout I just go in and look around?” Shepard sighed and glanced up at the ceiling in frustration.

“No. The access elevator is broken.” standing man said, his tone ever so slightly sharper.

Shepard followed the shift of his eyes and saw someone walking away from the elevator in question. There were sparks flying from between the doors that she had not noticed before. _Sabotage? Could they be hiding something?_ That might explain the awkward act they seemed to putting on.

“And now... we're done. Step away.” the seated man said, his tone sounding just a fraction on the threatening side.

“Step away. You don't belong here.” standing man said, his words picking up barely as the last syllable of the other's ended.

A second later, Shepard gasped faintly at the hand that fell gently on her shoulder. Garrus gave it a reassuring squeeze as he drew her away from them. He had his head down slightly and tilted away from her as if he was listening to something she could not hear. Maybe he was. His hearing range was so much different than hers, after all. She knew her own hearing was nearing his level, but the cybernetics had not quite finished whatever alterations they were making within her.

“Bad vibe to these guys. I don't think we want to push it.” his voice was soft and filled with concern as his hand traced across to her other shoulder and tucked her in close as he took a step back from the registration booth.

Shepard locked eyes with him before glancing back at the two weirdos staring at them from registration. She nodded, a faint frown on her face then. “Let's look around. Carefully.”


	28. Puzzle Pieces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus is quickly piecing things together, but the buzzing in his head is starting to worry him.

“Is it just me... or do these people seem a little... I dunno... creepy?” James asked quietly as Garrus drew Shepard away from the reception booth.

“Something's definitely not adding up here.” Shepard murmured with a nod.

“We need to fix that elevator.” Garrus grumbled softly as he gently squeezed Shepard's shoulder before releasing her.

Heading up the few steps leading to it, Garrus looked around at the people milling about the room. Unless he drew in close to them, they continued their conversations as if oblivious to their presence. That was fine with him. He found he was not at all comfortable with the way they stared at him or the tones of their voices. They lacked the faint sub-harmonic tones humans emitted in their speech. It was as if all emotion had been sucked right out of them. He had to agree with James on this one, they were creepy.

As he approached the sparking elevator, he noticed a kind of vibration here that seemed to permeate the air. It did not seem to be coming from the elevator, but from somewhere deep within the facility itself. He might not have noticed it if the mild pain behind his eyes was not beginning to throb in time with it. Something told him they needed to get this doctor and get off this rock as soon as possible. Indoctrination crossed his mind as he glanced at a pair of humans not far away. He did not know how it worked, how it first began to take hold, but he had no doubt he was witnessing some form of it. There was no desire in him to stick around long enough to test that theory, however.

Examining the elevator with both his visor and omni-tool, Garrus took note of several things. This elevator had not been sizzling when they first entered the facility. He was sure of that. This looked for all the world like sabotage to him as he scanned his way to the wall on the right side. There was a broken omni-blade sticking out of the access panel. That left no doubts whatsoever for him.

“I've got something over here.” Shepard called softly.

Garrus closed his omni-tool and took a step back to see her around the corner of the alcove. She was tapping at a console near a sealed door. Her head swiveled toward him and she made brief eye contact before nodding.

“Looks like a maintenance console.” Garrus noted thoughtfully.

“It is.” Shepard confirmed and continued tapping keys. “I'll set the drone to repair the elevator, but we have to stay with it.”

The drone materialized after a moment and Shepard began escorting it toward him. James joined her quickly, adding the feedback from his own eezo powered equipment to it. It stabilized and b-lined for the elevator as its field reach and encompassed the turian as well.

“Initiating repairs.” the drone stated in a cheerful female voice as it came within range of the elevator.

The sound of Shepard stepping away from the rest of the team did not draw his attention as quickly as it normally would have. Garrus was barely aware of her leaving his side as he watched the drone for a few minutes. It became clear that she had left the drone's field after a couple more minutes.

“You can't be in here. I will call security. Turn back. Return to your ship, Commander.” came the droning, emotionless voice from behind him again.

Garrus glanced back to the reception area and let out a quiet groan. Shepard had stepped inside the booth the very second one of the men had left it. She was rummaging around, looking for any clues she could scrape together. True, they might need the information she found, but that still did not ease his anxiety level. She just had to get those little human hands into everything. It worried him that one day someone was going to cut them off.

“Go.” the man continued to drone on.

“Shepard...” Garrus rumbled in a faint warning. He really did not want to be forced to take any of these people down. They did not seem as if they were acting under their own free will.

“Alright...” Shepard clipped as she grabbed a data pad and exited the booth.

Garrus breathed a faint sigh of relief when she came back up the stairs to stand beside him. None of the strange people in the facility had attempted to stop her. As a matter of fact, no one seemed to notice her once she was back in the public zone. That suited him just fine as he turned his attention back to the maintenance drone.

“Repairs complete.” the drone stated and winked out.

“That should do it.” Garrus said and keyed the call button. The security log rolled up on the small screen of the access panel. He read through it quickly. “Garneau's definitely here.”

“You're sure?” Shepard asked as the doors to the elevator opened.

“Security registered his ID when he entered the elevator.” Garrus said as he stepped in behind her.

“Station VI?” Shepard asked quietly.

“Looks like it.” Garrus nodded, his voice taking on a speculative tone as he continued. “He came through here in the last week. Why are they lying about that?”

“I dunno, but it can't be good.” Shepard breathed and glanced between him and James. “Stay sharp. Hopefully we don't have to look too far.”

Garrus nodded and looked out at the facility as the lift ascended. He was not too thrilled with these open elevators. Too much risk of falling off one in the event of a system failure. He was glad when the doors opened on the next level.

Shepard stepped out ahead of the team and looked around the corridor. This area was empty of people, the turian noted as he followed her out. Glancing to his left, he noticed a data pad lying on a bench behind a cart and headed for it. Reading it, he cringed at the thought of what the varren must have been eating to warrant an examination of the contents of their stomachs.

Glaring at the data pad again, Garrus headed toward the right and the door Shepard was standing before. All the color had drained from her face the second that door slid open. He understood why when he heard it.

“The turian pain threshold before psychosis is too high.” a human male stated in that same dreamy tone those on the level below had used.

“What if the pain stimuli is applied more quickly?” asked a human female with a soulless voice.

“Interesting. We should look into that.” the male replied as the shutters in the windows across from them dropped.

Garrus stood frozen to the spot. He was barely breathing, trying to catch every nuance in their voices. His eyes were narrowed as he glared at those now shuttered windows. He thought he had seen a pair of humans in there and a distinctly turian form strapped to a table. The scene had met his eyes so quickly and was gone, blotted out behind those shutters before he had truly registered what he was seeing. He was not entirely sure it had not been a trick of the lighting. From the look on his bondmate's face, he thought she must have seen more than he had.

“You... see that?” Garrus asked, the pitch of his voice a fraction higher than he had intended.

“Uh-huh...” Shepard breathed with a nod as she peeked around the corner.

“Was it... as bad as I think?” his voice struggled to retain its normal pitch with that question.

“Worse.” the commander all but whispered as she stepped into the next corridor.

“Damn.” was all he said as he followed her, James bringing up the rear slowly.

“Hey, the medical bay's on this level. Do you think Garneau is there?” James asked in a low voice as they all took note of the few people moving about this section of the corridor.

“I hope not... at least... not with what we've seen so far.” Garrus grumbled and held the data pad out to Shepard. “Take a look at this.”

The frown on the commander's face deepened as she read the report over a couple of times. She pursed her lips and glanced up at him. “Why would they examine eight varren from different areas? Why examine the contents of the stomachs at all?”

“I think the better question is.... _what_ were they _eating_ that raised so much concern?” Garrus said in a low voice as they moved past that sealed off room to the right.

“There's a bigger mystery here than a missing researcher. Not sure I wanna know what these people are hiding.” James murmured as he too stared at those shuttered windows.

“Come on. We find Garneau and we get the hell off this rock.” Shepard said and headed purposefully forward.

There was a ramp to the left leading downward into another wing and Shepard followed it. There were more carts of ore scattered haphazardly through the room. Here too, there were people moving about the facility as if in some sort of a daze.

“These people are supposed to be miners, right?” James asked with a frown as he watched one man walk up the ramp they had just come down.

“This _is_ a mining facility.” Shepard said as she searched a counter on the far wall.

“Then... uh... why aren't they... _mining?_ ” Garrus asked and wondered if any of them would notice if he drew his pistol. His fingers itched for the feel of the grip of a gun, any gun right about now.

When Shepard moved away from the counter and headed toward a table full of plants, Garrus noticed a human male with graying hair followed her across the room. He narrowed his eyes and watched the man for a moment. The man stood there, barely two feet from her, wringing his hands as if highly nervous. That bit of weirdness did not set so well with her turian bondmate.

Tapping the man's shoulder, Garrus drew his attention. Vacant eyes met his own and sent a chill rattling his plates. The voice was just as dead sounding as the others had been. “Turn back. You shouldn't be here.”

Shepard glanced back at them with a frown and shook her head. She tipped her head toward the asari a few feet away before heading for the blue woman. “Have you seen Dr. Garneau?”

“You shouldn't be here.” the asari's tone was almost irritated. It was the first trace of emotion the turian had detected in any of these people.

Garrus glanced down at a table filled with dirt. There was a data pad lying on the edge and he picked it up. He let out a haggard breath at the information that presented itself to him when he touched the screen. “Strange thing for a mining colony to be studying... 'Evolutionary implications of human biotics'.”

Shepard turned away from the asari and came to stand beside him. “Why would they need that kind of information? This is a mining facility, not a research center.”

“Branching out?” James suggested.

“Not likely. Most of these people would be trained metallurgists.” Garrus supplied.

“Right, they'd have no need of biological study.” Shepard nodded.

“And yet... they are studying biology.... and herbalism.” James said as he ran his hand delicately under one of the crimson blossoms standing out one table over.

“Don't touch that!” Garrus barked just before the human's hand made contact with the blossom itself. He was moving even before the words were out of his mouth. Grabbing the pauldron on the human's shoulder, he jerked the man back away from the plant.

Spores shot across the room, barely missing James. The man's breath caught as he staggered and found his balance again. “How did you know, Scars?”

“The base of the bud...” Garrus began and shook his head. He was not a botanist, but he was fairly certain he had seen a similar plant on Palaven. “We have something like it on Palaven... beautiful, but deadly.”

Once the man had regained some measure of his composure, he followed Shepard as she headed through another door. There were a couple of turians among the humans here. Garrus frowned at the blank stare the first male gave him as they passed. The next sent a chill to his very core.

“Even estimating sixty days for complete global starvation – that's the merciful route.” the second turian was explaining to his human companion.

“Absolutely. That's the data to use.” the human nodded.

Garrus was beginning to piece some of it together from the bits and pieces he had heard so far. It almost seemed as if each conversation they heard was a fragment of the bigger picture. Each statement was another piece of the puzzle and the implications were chilling. His vision blurred the second he made that connection and he shook his head slightly, pinching the soft tissue behind his nasal plates. That mild pain behind his eyes was growing along with the vibration. It was almost a buzzing sensation now.

When he opened his eyes again, he noticed the same graying researcher that had been following Shepard. The man was standing close to him now, almost glaring at him. When he made eye contact with the man, the human took a step forward.

“Turn back. You shouldn't be here.” the man said again.


	29. At What Cost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard has her eyes on her team as the vibrations in the facility increase to a buzzing.

Shepard moved toward the facility's security system and glanced back at Garrus before her hands went to the console's keys. She frowned in concern at the way he pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head slightly. This place must be affecting him more than she had thought. She wondered if he felt the buzzing just behind his eyes too. For her, it was like a bee hive that some idiot was using as a pinata by this point.

That had to be it, she realized, as she took a step toward him. She glared at the weird man that had been following them around. He only made eye contact if one of them looked at him.

“Turn back. You shouldn't be here.” he said.

“Yeah, not happening.” Shepard grumbled softly at him as she reached out and put a hand on his chest in order to 'urge' him to take a step away from her turian. He did not resist the slight push. In fact, he did not seem to notice she had touched him as he complied.

Glancing back up at Garrus, she stepped away from 'weirdo'. She put a hand on his elbow, between the plates of his armor where she knew he would feel the touch. When he released the pinch on his nose and locked eyes with her, she saw the tension and pain in them.

“You ok?” she asked softly, her other hand reaching up to run a thumb across his cheekbone.

“Minor headache... I'm fine...” he drawled, but she could hear the faint strain in his voice. More than that, she could hear the faint whine in his sub-harmonics that told her he was stressed.

“You feel the buzzing too, don't you?” Shepard asked and before he could answer, she looked to James. “What about you, Vega? Your head buzzing?”

“Yeah... just thought it was, you know... the mining dust or somethin'.” James answered with a frown.

“Feels like there's an omni-tool set to vibrate... right in here.” Garrus murmured and tapped his central brow-plate with a gloved talon.

“We need to hurry this along. It's pretty clear something here isn't quite right. I'm not putting either of you at risk any longer than I have to.” she nodded, a thought occurring to her that she kept a tight cap on.

“What about you, Shepard? It's got to be affecting you as much as us.” Garrus sounded worried as he put his hand on her shoulder.

“I'm fine.” she lied, the buzzing in her head was practically drowning out most thought since touching the 'weirdo'. “Let's get Garneau and get out of here.”

From the way Garrus eyed her before she turned back toward that security console, she was fairly certain her knew she was lying. To his credit, he said nothing. The map above the console was huge and she realized that most of the facility was underground. That map she scanned with her omni-tool and pinged their location within its boarders.

“This is a restricted security terminal.” the VI said sharply the second she touched the console. “A level five passcode is required for access.”

“Dammit...” Shepard breathed softly. She knew she did not have that code.

“Access denied.” the VI snapped.

“I don't even want try an guess how many possible combinations that code could encompass.” Garrus said as he looked the console over at her right.

“So... you can't hack this?” Shepard asked, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her mouth as she looked up at him.

“I didn't say that... exactly.” he drawled and then let out a tired sigh. “But we'd be here for the next three years if I tried.”

“Then we need that passcode.” Shepard grumbled, blowing a stray strand of hair out of her face.

“Exactly.” Garrus nodded and glanced down the hall.

“Hey, Commander. There's a door down here that isn't sealed. Maybe... we can gain access.” James called from around the corner.

“What can it hurt?” Shepard shrugged and looked up at the turian again. She knew they needed to get this mission moving a lot faster. The skin around his eyes was beginning to strain. She knew that look. He had the mother of all headaches drilling through his head.

The turian had her worried more than she wanted to admit. He seemed to be suffering the affects of whatever that vibration was more than his human teammates. She was beginning to think it had something to do with the frequencies the vibration was being carried on. It must be within his range of hearing. He followed her as if in a daze toward that door. She realized that was the part that worried her the most. He was starting to daze out... like the rest of the people here.

“No. Listen to me. Colonies disappear all the time.” came a male voice from the other side of the door as she attempted to hack the lock. “If someone wanted to get away with it, it's just a matter of when and where.”

The second the door opened, she stepped in and found a turian plus four humans within the room. The turian turned toward her, his eyes locked on her vacantly. “Turn back. You don't belong here.”

“Yeah, I'm getting that feeling.” Shepard muttered.

The commander noticed as she took another step forward that the turian researcher was no longer staring at her. His focus was on Garrus. The male had an almost thoughtful expression on his face. It was the first expression she had seen on any of their faces. In some ways, that worried her even more.

Ignoring the people standing around the room staring at her, Shepard moved passed them toward the door behind them. They did not move to stop her. The lock released easily enough and she stepped through. What lay beyond was a small storage room with a couple of active data pads lying on the crates.

Shepard wasted no time in snagging the one to her right, closest to the door. The message light was blinking and she tapped it. “Attention, comm system is offline. This message was not sent.”

“Bryson, I've had to go into hiding and I need you to come get me.” came Garneau's voice a few seconds later. “I found another one of those artifacts here. They're more important than we realized. It's in the mines – here's the navpoint. That's where I'll be. Something happens... I'm attaching a passcode that I hacked together. It'll open any security terminal. Bryson, something is very wrong here. Please hurry. Garneau out.”

“So he's still here.” Shepard said quietly and glanced back at the four researchers standing around staring at her.

“We... should... uh... enter that code.” Garrus seemed to be having trouble putting the words together as he pressed the pads of his fingers into his eyes briefly.

Shepard nodded and stepped out of the storage room. The voice coming from behind the door just up the stairs drew her attention. She headed up those stairs and the door opened before her.

Down the hall, another human male made a suggestion to someone. “Look at the map. Closer. Tell me what calls to you.”

“Yeah, that's not creepy at all. Anyone else getting the feeling all these people are... I dunno... linked mentally... somehow?” James asked as he came through the door behind her.

“Yeah... seems like each fragment of conversation is... a piece of a greater whole.” Garrus said quietly as he pressed a hand to the back of his neck, just beneath his amp.

The arrows and print on the wall indicated that the med bay was just down this hallway. One look at Garrus, however, told her they needed to turn back and get that access code into the security terminal. She was not sure how much more of that headache he could take. There was also the question of what the vibration was actually doing to him. She would not risk him no matter how critical this mission might be.

It only took them a few minutes to return to the security terminal. The moment they reached it, she looked to Garrus. She knew he had downloaded that code to his omni-tool. He simply stood there for a moment, staring blankly at the console. Turning toward him, she gazed up into those icy blue eyes she knew so well. They were dull, blank and frighteningly vacant.

“Garrus...” her voice was steady if a little hoarse sounding. The hand she placed on the rim of his armored cowl shook slightly, however. The turian blinked, but remained where he was, staring off in a daze. The flex-mesh of her gloved hand creaked faintly as her grip tightened.

“We don't belong here.” his voice was a whisper of its normal timber when it came, bland and emotionless like those around them.

Shepard gasped and took a half step back from him. The normal warm and vibrant chatter within his sub-harmonics was virtually silent. The dual-tones of his voice resonated hollowly without it. Barely a heartbeat passed and she gripped the rim of his armored cowl again. She tugged him toward her ever so slightly.

“Oh god, don't you _dare_ do this to me, _Vakarian!_ ” she gasped out softly, not caring if James heard the desperate plea or not. The turian did not respond and she ran one hand over the scars that stretched across the side of his face. Her voice broke shamelessly on a near sob. “Garrus _... please.._.”

“Scars?” James asked, closing in on them. “He ok, Lola?”

“I dunno...” Shepard breathed and tried to maintain her calm. She was failing as her breath caught on her next words. “He... just...”

“Do we have that passcode? Maybe we get to the bottom of this mess...” James suggested.

“I have the data pad, but he downloaded the code. _He's_ the tech, James. _Garrus_ hacks nearly every lock... every system... that I can't.” Shepard said, her eyes never leaving her bondmate's face.

“Let me see that data pad.” James said, his hand out for it.

“You're a soldier...” Shepard began.

“I'm an N7 cadet. You know we gotta be able to do more than the sum of our training.” James said as he took the data pad.

Shepard nodded. She knew he had some basic tech skills at least. He had to in order to have retrieved that data he mentioned during their sparing match in the shuttle bay. Her attention remained trained on Garrus, however. She wondered if he would even try to keep up once they started moving again. _Will he even notice? None of us are immune to indoctrination, but I thought... we could avoid it... somehow_. It seemed as if that had been an empty hope as she looked into his eyes and saw... nothing of the turian she loved in them.

“Access granted.” the VI said politely after a moment.

“Got it! A ship dropped Garneau off a week ago.” James said as he gained access the video logs. “Looks like he had full access before he went underground.”

Shepard reluctantly stepped away from Garrus and stood before the console to stare at the video and the information scrolling up the side. “An unknown male was involved in an altercation in the mines.”

“Garneau was heading to the mines.” Garrus' voice sounded rough and strained as he spoke behind her.

Shepard looked back at him and he nodded tiredly. He had clearly broken free of whatever had taken hold of him. She only hoped he remained free of it. The commander refused to lose her bondmate to this place or the artifact that Garneau had found here.

“You ok?” she asked quietly, but what she really wanted to do was wrap her arms around him and let the emotions that were at war within her out.

“More or less. Head feels like... there's a brute bouncing around... in there.” the turian grumbled softly, his hand going to the side of his head.

Shepard took a couple of steps toward him and reached up to touch his face. She ran her thumb across his right upper mouth plates, just below his nose and drew her hand back to show him. Blue blood glistened wetly on the pad of her gloved thumb.

“You're nose is bleeding.” she said tonelessly. The commander refused to panic over that. There could be any number of reasons for a nose bleed.

“Hmm...” Garrus nodded and touched his fingers to his own face. Glancing down at the smear of blue, he looked back up at her. “Felt like I was _clawing_ my way back. Guess this is proof.”

“Clawing your way back? From where?” Shepard asked deeply concerned now.


	30. Possession is Nine Tenths of the Law

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus is really feeling the drag of this mission. He'll be glad when they can return to the Normandy.

“Somewhere dark... and cold...” Garrus breathed and shook his head ever so slightly.

It was just as Hadley had described. He had found himself in a cold, dark place, somehow detached from his physical self. It was not an experience he wanted to repeat. It was like being in a huge room, the walls and ceiling so far out of sight as to not exist at all. No doors, no windows, no way out. _So... how did I get out? How am I back in the real world? Not really... sure I want those answers. Just glad to be back where I belong_.

Locking eyes with his bondmate, he realized that was the key. He was bound to her in the most fundamental way a turian could be bound to another; love. Love had tethered him to reality. Even in that darkened unreality, he had sensed her. There was so much more to their bond than he had ever imagined. He clung to that knowledge like a lifeline now. If he stayed close to her, he was certain there was a good chance whatever had taken him would not do so again.

“There's more here, Commander. It looks like Garneau was taken to the med-bay after the altercation.” James pointed out as the information continued to scroll.

“Then that's where we need to go. We'll check medical first. If he's not there, then we head down into the mines.” Shepard said with a faint sigh and a nod.

Garrus put a hand on her shoulder briefly and nodded as her eyes returned to him. His head was still buzzing and pounding to beat hell, but he meant to see this mission through. There was no way he was going to let some artifact he had yet to see beat him. _Besides... if I let her walk into hell alone... this whole thing could go sideways_.

Without another word, Shepard headed back toward the room around the corner. The last place he remembered being was just outside that storage room. He had downloaded the passcode before he just sort of... faded away from reality. The thought occurred to him that it could happen again. Whatever was affecting him in this place might well be in medical. That was not a pleasant thought at all, but he refused to back down.

The moment Shepard touched the door lock on medical, Garrus frowned at the VI's words. _Since when is medical, in any facility, restricted?_ That did not make sense to him, unless... _Are they playing around with some kind of contagion?_ He thought that might be even worse than the strangeness of the people themselves.

“This is a restricted area.” the VI said. “An active patient file number is required.”

Garrus keyed open his omni-tool and pulled up the information he had downloaded from both the data pad and the security console. While Vega and Shepard had been focused on the vids, he had grabbed the text information. Now he stepped a little closer to the door.

“File 7364.” the turian said. His throat still felt dry, but ignored it.

“Access granted.” the VI stated.

“How did you know?” Shepard asked, eyes searching his face.

“Downloaded the text data a couple minutes after James found that security report.” Garrus said quietly.

Shepard gave him that crooked smile he loved so much before heading into the short corridor leading to the inner door. It seemed the mining facility had a decontamination area set up within medical. That invoked yet another frown from the turian. Of course, they were on an asteroid. Almost anything could contaminate the samples the miners were bringing in.

The second door took a moment to open. When it finally did, they stepped into a waiting area. Looking to the left, down the corridor, Garrus noticed a gurney pushed haphazardly against the left hand wall. There were snaking loops of cable running all along the floor. A feeling of dread nearly consumed him at that. It reminded him strongly of the way the Reapers strung cables around.

As they moved down the hall, he noted another gurney shoved into an awkward position further down. There was an offshoot to the left and he followed the commander closely as she took it. The first thing he noticed here was that neither of the room on either side were shuttered. The one to their left was the most concerning. He noted the body lying on the exam table on the other side of the glass.

“Is that Garneau?” Shepard asked sounding a little frustrated.

“If it is, we came a long way for nothing.” Garrus said as he moved to her right side and leaned in to get a better look at the darkened room.

Shepard let out a frustrated sigh at that. The turian could only guess at what must be going through her mind in those seconds. It was likely the same as he was thinking; dead end.

“If you're looking for Garneau, you have found him.” came a muffled male voice from behind them.

Shepard and Garrus turned to look toward the windowed room behind them in unison. A man stood within, leaning on the window sill. He looked exhausted, but alert. He looked up at them, his face in deep shadow.

“I am Dr. Garneau.” he said simply.

“I'm Commander Shepard of the Alliance.” Shepard said as she took the few steps to close in on that window. “Are you alright?”

“Yes. Only... I'm trapped in here.” the doctor said, leaning on that sill again.

“He... doesn't see... ok.” Garrus said very quietly near her shoulder. Something felt off to him here, more so than anywhere else in the facility.

“Noted.” Shepard said in an equally quiet voice. She turned her attention back to the man behind the glass. “There are some strange things happening here. Any idea what's going on?”

“I was doing my research – until the incident.” Garneau said.

“They attacked you...” Shepard breathed in obvious understanding.

“It's true, but aside from confinement, I'm fine.” Garneau was moving around as if he were unsteady on his feet.

“Bryson's research led me to you.” Shepard said.

“Bryson sent you?” Garneau looked up almost curiously, but his face was still in deep shadow.

“He's dead, Doctor. Killed by his assistant.” Shepard told the man.

Garrus thought he might have broken that news a little more gently. He loved the woman, but sometimes she had absolutely no tact. Garneau seemed to take the news rather well, however.

The man glanced down, moving a little more. “I see.”

“I need whatever you've learned about the leviathan. Bryson thought it had killed a Reaper. If that's true, we need to know how to find it.” Shepard pushed forward with the main reason they were here.

“It's a myth. A dead end.” Garneau dismissed it too quickly.

Garrus stepped forward then, his eyes locked to the human's darkened features. He knew his frustration was bleeding over into his voice and he did not try to mask it. “But what about the artifact you mentioned in your message?”

“I did? No.” the man seemed confused for a second before uttering the last word a little sharply.

“Yes, Doctor. You did.” Shepard confirmed. Her voice betraying the building irritation. “But now we've got Reaper forces attacking so I need to break you out. We'll grab the artifact and go.”

“Reapers.... The darkness must not be breached.” in that moment, the man began to sound like every other person they had run across in this place.

“The darkness?” Shepard asked with a frown.

The man behind the glass suddenly slammed himself against it, his face came into the light then. He looked at least a week dead. The lids of one eye sagging slightly as the eyeball barely tracked them. The other narrowed and completely focused on the commander.

“Why do you pursue me?” Garneau's voice changed as he spoke. It grew much deeper with an underlying growl that seemed to reverberate enough to rattle the glass.

Shepard gasped and stepped back. Garrus stepped to her side, putting himself between her and the man behind the glass protectively. This whole thing had just gotten so much more disturbing.

“ _Doctor!_ ” Shepard said sharply.

Garneau hit the glass with his fist. It cracked under the force. The action drew a faint gasp from Garrus. He knew the strength of that glass. It was bullet proof and rated for hundreds of pounds of force.

“Leave the artifact! You will not take what is mine!” Garneau growled in that same deeply resonating voice.

Garrus was feeling the vibration across his plates and deep in resonance chamber of his sinus cavity. His eyes wanted to cross at the unbearable vibration that was swamping his entire being. Instead, he stood his ground.

“I... don't think we're talking to Garneau.” James said as he closed in on the window. The man seemed to be fulfilling some morbid curiosity as he looked the 'doctor' over.

That was when it clicked. Garrus glanced at Shepard and he knew she had reached the same conclusion. Rather than allow her to get close to this man, he stood his ground between them. The unbearable vibrations only lasted so long as this 'thing' before them spoke. He thought he could handle that.

“You... killed a Reaper. We need your help.” Garrus growled at the man. He allowed his sub-harmonics to snarl the question on every frequency his vocal range encompassed.

“You bring only death.” the entity possessing the man said, the vibration resonating throughout the room.

Garrus noticed the man's nose bleeding and realized he was not as dead as he looked. On his last word, the glass exploded outward. The turian shielded his bondmate, turning his back to the rain of glass. His left ear pore was ringing fiercely as they both staggered into a crouch. He barely noticed the 'doctor' vaulting through the window and running down the hall.

The turian sank to his knees with the pain the ringing and vibration in his head produced. Shaking his head did nothing to dispel it. Shepard recovered much faster than he did. She was already on her feet. He reached for her blindly as she ran after the man.

Grunting painfully, Garrus forced himself up to his feet and staggered after her. She had not made it far. The open door the man ran through closed and sealed behind him. The commander was attempting to hack the security lock. Clearly she was failing as she pounded a fist against the door beside it.

Garrus put a hand on her shoulder as he staggered to a halt beside her. He reached out with his free hand and tapped a few keys. On a whim, he tried the patient code and the door opened. He nodded to Shepard as she glanced up at him. A second later she took off like a shot after Garneau.

Stumbling after her, he noticed James had recovered and was charging past him. They did not get far before the entire facility suddenly powered down. Shepard was attempting to hack yet another door lock as the turian stumbled after her.

The ringing vibration was starting to abate as he reached the door beside her. For that he was immensely glad. He was not sure how much more of that he could have taken. Looking between the two humans, he figured their biology must have attributed to their quicker recovery. He knew Shepard's cybernetics had definitely helped her along. The turian resonance chamber within the sinus cavity, he realized, had been his downfall here. That vibration had simply built to epic proportions bouncing around within it.

“That estúpido cut the power!” James barked from behind them.

Garrus ignored him and took off after Shepard the instant she got the door open. He pointed the man out under the red flood of the emergency lights. “There!”

“Leave this place!” that resonate voice growled at them.

The turian grunted and pressed a hand to the right side of his face, covering his eye as the vibrations rattled in the back of his sinuses again. It seemed the distance between him and the leviathan possed man actually made a difference in the affects he was suffering. Still, it felt as if a rifle shot was ricochetting around inside his head.

The man ran through another door that sealed behind him. The door lock flickered and disappeared before they reach it. Shepard stopped before it and slammed her fist against the door.

“ _Dammit!_ ” the commander snarled and looked the door over for a second in frustration. “We need to get to that artifact before he does.”

“He said it was in the mines...” Garrus said thoughtfully as he backtracked their path a few feet. He had noticed an alcove not far from the door on the right. Investigating it now, he spotted the ladder leading up and the faint blue emergency lighting on that level washed over it. “Shepard. Got a ladder here. Might be an access we can use. Maybe... cut him off.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapters will slow down for awhile as I recover from minor surgery on 9/22/20.


	31. Chasing Garneau

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The chase is on and Shepard is out for blood.

Shepard headed back toward Garrus and glanced up at the ladder he had mentioned. She was still worried about him, but she pushed that to a back burner. Chakwas was going to look him over once they returned to the Normandy. She would personally pin him down for the doctor if she had to.

Without a second thought, Shepard gripped the ladder and hauled herself up to the next level. Garrus was right, they needed to catch up to the 'doctor'. Head him off if they got the chance. She was almost certain the leviathan within the man might very well destroy the artifact to prevent them from retrieving it.

Once the others joined her, Shepard looked to Garrus for a moment. “Garneau's notes gave us the navpoint for the artifact....”

“Map shows a service door at the next tram station.” Garrus drew up his omni-tool and nodded as he pointed off toward the station in question.

Shepard gasped at the Harvester that flew over head. She ducked down behind the railing in an effort to get out of sight. “Looks like we're not the only ones heading that way.”

“Reapers... moving _away_ from us...” Garrus said thoughtfully. His voice sounded distant and carried an edge of disbelief.

“Never happens. We irritate.... them... too.... much.” James said, his tone changing to match the disbelief in the turian's voice as he watched the Reaper-spawn heading in the direction 'Garneau' had gone. The man breathed his next words in utter shock. “...ay caramba...”

Moving quickly, Shepard slid out of cover and ran across the grating plates toward a gap. She saw no other way around it, she leapt across the gap to the next grating plate. It rattled ominously, but she continued running. They had to catch that possessed freak. She did not want to think what might happen if the Reapers got to him first.

Looking around frantically for a way out of the seemingly dead end she had boxed herself into, she climbed over a raised section of grating. Her team was hot on her heels as she dropped to the next walkway with a grunt. She barely registered the two husks running at her before hitting them with a shockwave. The pair went sailing off the walkway and she grunted at the lack of railing to her right. She managed to reach the section those two had come from and climbed up to the next level when she realized her path was blocked.

“There he goes!” Garrus yelled as he clearly spotted the 'doctor' running ahead of them.

Shepard stopped and stared at the twin fireballs that blew through the facility's kinetic barrier to land on the scaffolding before her. She took cover quickly as her mind registered the Reaper-spawn suddenly swarming the walkways ahead.

“These guys mean business!” James snapped as he too took cover.

The commander did not see where her turian went. She assumed he was heading for high ground, searching for the perfect sniper angle. He would pick them off if he got a good bead on them.

Pulling her own sniper rifle from her back, she took careful aim at the ravager on the walkway ahead. She heard it before she saw it, the pop of a rifle round punching through bone. Swinging her rifle just a fraction, she saw the marauder drop and smiled. Garrus was already picking them off.

“Heads up! Enemies on the upper balcony!” Garrus shouted from somewhere to her left.

“Watch our flank!” Shepard yelled out.

She did not wait for a response. Instead, she took careful aim and popped the second marauder through the seam between nose and brow-plate. That was a weak spot for most species and it had turned out to be true for turians as well. She hated taking down marauders. With each one she dropped, she was forced to remind herself that they had ceased to be people the second the Reapers corrupted them.

The sudden sting of a round punching into her armor drew her attention toward the marauder on the upper balcony. That had to be the one Garrus must have spotted. Her shields barely held against a second round as she leveled her rifle on him. She fired and he dropped, but not before he fired off a third round aimed at her.

Grunting at the impact, she dropped deeper into cover. Her hand gripped her left shoulder tightly for a moment. It throbbed. There was a small burnt trench across the armor covering it. Rolling the shoulder, she realized the movement was not affect, but it was painful. There was no choice, she had to continue. Saying nothing, she loaded a medi-gel packet to her suit and went over the obstacle in her path.

No sooner than she had made it over that raised section than she heard the wail of a banshee. _That's all we need now. Don't these bastards ever stop?_ Pain was causing her frustration level to climb at an alarming rate. The pain of her shoulder now joined the buzzing pain in her head. She began to wonder which one might win out.

“Banshee... 1 o'clock!” came the turian's yell as he picked off yet another marauder she had not seen to her left.

The tech mutated turian spun and dropped like a sack the second the rifle slug ripped through the side of its head. Shepard breathed a sigh of relief as it settled barely a foot from her. She was distracted by that damn buzzing. If she managed to get her hands on leviathan, she thought she might punch it in the mouth for all this trouble.

The next rail, that was all she could call it, came up to her waist and she took cover behind in. James drew up beside her, eyes wide as he popped his heat sync. He grumbled something in Spanish she did not quite catch as he came up short on ammo for his assault rifle. A moment later, he drew his pistol and nodded at her.

“Low on ammo, Lola. We gotta catch this guy... and soon.” James grumbled as he raised up and took a couple pot shots at the advancing banshee.

Shepard took aim at the banshee a heartbeat later herself. She fired and hit the creature high in the shoulder. It was a good hit and nearly took the mutated asari down. She did not see the second banshee staggering along to the right until it was too late. The Reaper-spawn shot forward within the same kind of energy field she used herself. It struck her hard, slamming her against the railing several feet behind her.

“ _Shepard!_ ” Garrus' shout was strained.

The banshee gripped her by the throat. Shepard was beginning to see stars in a growing field of black as her airway was cut off. She struggled to free herself of the creature. The buzzing increased with her dimming vision and weakness began to take hold.

Several things happened at once then. She heard feet running toward her. The clawed hand about to slam through the middle of her armor separated from the banshee at the elbow as an omni-blade passed through it. The banshee took several rifle hits in the chest and abdomen, but continued to strangle her.

Panic gripped her as she bucked against the creature. Memories of suffocating in space swamped her mind as her struggles grew weaker. She vaguely saw James attempt to stab the banshee only to be thrown back by its barely bleeding stump. It opened its mouth and screamed right in her face increasing the rigging in her ears. The vibration behind her eyes felt as if her head was about to explode.

Seconds, that was all she had left before darkness claimed her. No air was getting past that iron grip now as her hands locked around the bony wrist. She caught movement out of the corner of her dimming vision to the left. Rapid movement that resolved itself into an armored blur rushing at the banshee. The creature's grip was suddenly torn from her throat as something large tackled it. The force of the impact and the turian's momentum carried them both over the edge of the walkway.

Shepard collapsed to the grated floor gasping and choking for air. She clawed her way toward the edge of the walkway. Her voice hoarse as she called out for her bondmate.

“ _Garrus...!_ ” the commander strained to get his name out. She struggled to suck in enough breath to gasp out her fears for his safety. “ _Oh god...._ _ **No**_ _! No, no, no! You fucking_ _ **idiot**_ _! You_ _ **can't**_ _be gone!_ ”

“ _Shepard_ , we gotta go! There's another one heading this way.” James snapped as he got a grip on her elbow.

The commander struggled to her feet, staring down at the lower walkway and the heap of Reaper-spawn sprawled on top of the mound of turian armor. Nothing moved and she let out a ragged half sob before allowing James to practically drag her toward the tram. Her eyes turned toward their destination and the banshee lumbering along toward them. A mixture of grief and rage boiled up within her so fierce she could barely contain it. She pulled away from James then.

With a guttural growl, Shepard launched herself at that banshee, her biotics blazing white-hot. She unleashed every bit of the fury swamping her senses on that creature. Hitting it full force the second she reached it, the omni-blade and combat knife she had taken up sliced cleanly through the mutated asari. It stood there for a second before its top half slid to the floor grating. It's jaw still worked as it lay there and the commander punched her combat knife through its skull viciously. There was no more room left in her for mercy, not without her balance point. Garrus was that and so much more to her.

After a moment, her knees buckled and she sat down on one of the rails between her and their destination. She glanced back to the last place she had seen her bondmate and sucked in a ragged breath. Her 'commander' mask had shattered completely and she realized she no longer cared. The turian was the glue that kept it in place. He had become her shield, in a sense. Almost a shelter where she could let her guard down.

“I can't..... I don't wanna do this..... without you, Garrus.” she whispered hoarsely as tears created clean streaks in the grime on her face.

“Lola?” James breathed softly as he knelt before her. “He'd want us to finish this.”

“I'm done. Find somebody else to win this fucking war.” she gasped out in a whisper, still struggling to catch her breath.

“You're all we got, Commander. You know that.” James said a little more forcefully.

“I have to be sure...” she sucked in a shuddering breath then and nodded to herself.

“The Reapers...” James began and she cut him off.

“ _Fuck the Reapers!_ ” Shepard raged in a ragged cry that remained hoarse.

“Alright. But we both double back. If he's... well... we call Cortez in for a pickup...” James began laying out a plan of action. Any other time, Shepard might have been impressed with the way he took charge.

“We catch Garneau and grab the artifact. Then we get the hell off this asteroid.” Shepard growled as she got to her feet. Some of her strength was returning. A glimmer of hope sparked in her heart that maybe, just maybe the turian was unconscious. After all, he had been knocked for a loop a few times.


	32. Lost Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard can't move forward with the mission until she knows for sure... Has she lost her bondmate or is he, by some miracle, still alive?

Shepard doubled back along the walkway slowly. Part of her really did not want to see him if the worst had come to pass. A roiling pit of dread settled into her stomach as they neared the place he had gone over with the banshee. The mutated asari still lay in the same tangle of twisted limbs.

As she looked for a way down, Vega's hand landed on her shoulder and he drew her attention back to the heap they were heading for. The banshee twitched awkwardly. The commander's eyes narrowed as she took in every detail she could from twenty feet above.

The banshee twitched again and Shepard gasped, scrambling down the near ninety degree angle toward it. She had seen the turian's gloved hand move, the fingers curling to grasp at the body on top of him. Her feet hit the metal grating with a hard clang. She was running toward him before her knees had even recovered from the impact. Her knees hit the grating, taking the abuse head on as she dropped before the tangle of limbs to help drag the banshee's corpse off her bondmate.

Garrus let out a faint groan as the weight was lifted off him. He attempted to shift and gasped in sudden pain. The most obvious reason Shepard could see was his fringe. The three longest spines were caught in the grating. His hands went to his head and wrapped around them in a tight grip. He wiggled in an effort to dislodge them, but they remained firmly pinned in the grating.

“ _Crap_...” he breathed very quietly as he dropped his hands to the floor over his head. His eyes closed for a moment before he released a frustrated sigh and opened them again. “I'm... uh... I'm stuck.”

Shepard rose up on her knees and looked him over. His fringe was wedged into the grating tight. There was no way he could work it loose himself without snapping off those spines. She knew, from having seen the kind of pain it caused him when Solana had twisted one, just how painful that would be for him. There was also the fact that it would take months for them to grow back in. The 'quick' of his scalp would be raw and exposed. Females filed their fringe and treated the scalp, hardening it against injury. Males did not.

“Alright. This may hurt.” Shepard said as she unsheathed her combat knife.

Eyes widening, Garrus held up a hand. There was concern in his voice. “Wait... what are you going to do?”

“Relax. I'll do what has to be done.” she gave him no chance to argue before thrusting the tip of her blade between the first spine closest to her and the grating.

The turian squeezed his eyes shut more from the sudden downward swing of the blade bare inches from his face than the torque she created. It was one of those universal reflexes to flinch at something swinging toward the face. She thought nothing of the reaction as she worked the blade between his fringe and the holes in the flooring.

One by one she wiggled small bends in the metal. She worked quickly, sparing his fringe as much damage as possible. Small scuffs and scrapes were inevitable. She cringed when one of them issued a faint crunching sound. Her blade gritted against it like a combination of sandpaper and rubber.

Garrus grunted, but said nothing as he wiggled his head a fraction at a time. Finally, his fringe broke free of the flooring and she helped him sit up.

Shepard settled back on her heels and looked him over critically. He leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees for several long minutes. She knew turians were tough, but a fall like that with the added weight of a fully mutated banshee coming down on top of him could have done some serious damage.

“Anything broken?” she asked, frustrated that her voice remained hoarse.

The turian's eyes locked to her sharply at the sound then and a frown drew his brow-plates downward a fraction. One hand had moved to his head a moment before. He let go of his obviously aching fringe at her words and touched her throat cautiously. “More concerned about this.”

“I'm fine.” Shepard shook her head sharply and narrowed her eyes at him when his other hand pressed against his left side. “Crack the plate again?”

“Hmm... maybe. Can't let it slow us down.” Garrus grunted as he forced himself up to his feet. “We need to get to that artifact.”

Shepard followed suit and glanced upward toward James. She called up to him. “Meet us at the tram. There's bound to be a way back up to that door.”

“Understood, Commander.” James nodded and headed off.

“There's the door.” Garrus said, pointing toward the tram and door above.

“Ok... let's find that artifact.” Shepard nodded and started to turn. The turian's sudden grip on arm stopped her and drew her attention back to him.

“I... uh... didn't know... what else to do.” Garrus admitted, his eyes flicking up toward the twenty foot drop he had taken to save her. “Ran out of ammo... couldn't get the biotics to so much as burp...”

“What you did was reckless as hell, Vakarian. We'll talk about it later.” she ground out in a hoarse grumble.

Shepard did not give him much chance to comment before she stepped into a jog toward the other end of the tram system. True, he had saved her life in the only way available to him, but he could just as easily have lost his own in the process. For the moment, she was upset with him. She knew, however, that her anger would not last. It could not, she loved him too much. He was her best friend first before any other considerations. The turian was her confidant and protector. The peace she found in his arms could be found nowhere else in the universe. She could not have asked for a better bondmate.

“Except maybe... a little less reckless.” Shepard grumbled to herself as she found the ladder leading upward.

She and Garrus made up to the level of the door without further incident. Nodding to James, she passed him and headed toward the door and the downed husks. The commander had thought she had heard gunshots just before the reached the ladder. James must have taken those down along the way.

“Damn, Scars... I thought you were dead, bro.” James let out a laugh as he slapped the turian's armored shoulder good naturedly.

“Thought I was for a minute there myself.” Garrus huffed a faint laugh at that admission.

Shepard glanced back and shook her head at the two of them before stepping over the husks and through the door. There was another door to her left and she headed for it. The moment she touched the lock, the facility shook and an alarm started wailing.

“What the hell?” James asked as he tried to steady his footing.

“ _Dammit!_ I've got no power to this door.” Shepard grumbled.

Garrus stepped back through the doorway with a thoughtful look on his face. He pointed toward what appeared to be a large power conduit. “There's the problem. The maintenance drone can repair it.”

A moment later he took an almost bouncing step and jogged toward the end of the short corridor she had not explored. He must have found what he was looking for because less than a minute later, the drone appeared around the corner. Garrus followed close behind it.

“You know that thing's running on reserve power. It looks damaged.” James said as he looked the thing over.

“Then we make this quick.” Shepard grumbled and moved in close to the drone.

They guided the drone to the conduit quickly. It hovered closer to the floor than usual, but still managed to reach the damage wiring. “Repairs initiated.”

“Incoming Reapers!” James yelled as he drew their attention to the meteor-like fireball dropping through the facility's kinetic barriers.

“Repairs at fifty percent. Moving to next juncture.” the drone announced cheerfully.

Shepard realized she would like to cheerfully strangle the voice of that drone. She glanced toward the juncture in question, then looked back to her team. “One target done. One to go.”

“Marauders coming in from the left! Shepard, we have to get this done... _now!_ ” Garrus barked as he palmed a couple of spent heat syncs.

“I got ravagers over here! They're tryin' to cut us off!” James snapped from the other side, his pistol cracking every so often.

“The drone doesn't have much time left.” Garrus stated just as they all heard the wail of a banshee.

Shepard's eyes snapped toward the glow of the approaching creature and a chill of dread ripped up her spine. She glanced back at the two men, each one doing his level best to take down the enemy with what little ammo was left to them. Her eyes found the mutated menace once more and she made a decision.

“Defend the drone! Get the artifact and get back to the Normandy!” Shepard shouted just before leaping across the gap toward the creature.

“ _Shepard!_ ” Garrus yelled. “ _Dammit!_ You're gonna get yourself killed!”

Ignoring him, she drew up her biotic energy and blasted herself straight at the banshee. It screamed and she plowed into it. The creature hit her pointblank with its own biotic blast. She bit down on a scream of her own as the near liquefied energy rolled over her. It scorched its way over her armor and into the cracks and seams to blister her skin. She ignored that as much as she could as the creature slashed at her with those grossly extended nails.

Shepard caught both the creature's wrists in her hands and held those talon-like nails bare inches from her face. She flinched away when the nails of one hand made contact with her cheek. A grunt of pain escaped her as those nails tore bleeding stripes into her right cheek.

The banshee struggled in her grip. It lunged forward, going so far as to try an bite her. That was where she drew the line. She gathered her near exhausted biotic energy around her then. Taking a note from Aria's actions on Omega, she started with a small bubble of energy around herself. The banshee shrieked as that bubble expanded.

The commander blew that bubble out in a powerful blast that vaporized the banshee in her grip. It took down the ravagers and marauders that were closing in on her as well. She collapsed to her hands and knees then in an exhausted heap. That was it, she knew it. That was the end of her biotics for the next several hours. Her body could not take another blast like that.

“ _Holy shit!_ ” came Vega's shocked exclamation came from close by.

“Shepard...” Garrus' voice was full of concern as he rushed into her line of view. His hands found her elbows.

Her breath was coming in short gasps as she nodded. This mission was taking a hard toll on her. The turian hauled her up easily. To him, she was feather lite anyway. She envied his strength and the natural ability to bounce back. Her own body was rapidly losing the ability to bounce back as quickly as before. It almost felt as if the cybernetics were shutting down a few at a time in favor of her own biological systems.

“That door should be online now.” she growled. _Not now. I need those cybernetics to keep working... just a little longer_. She did not voice that argument with herself.

Garrus maintained a grip on her as she staggered toward that door they had fought so hard to open. It opened easily enough and they stepped into a short corridor. The turian released her as she stopped before the next door and examined it. The lock was simple and opened easily enough.

“The darkness cannot be breached.” that deep vibrating voice rumbled through the room the second they stepped through the door.

Shepard gasped at the sight. There were husks everywhere. Garrus had a hand pressed to the scars over his ruined ear pore. James shook his head.

After a few seconds, Garrus pointed at a swirling bluish silver ball embedded in a chunk of rock. “That artifact, its....”

“Like in Bryson's lab.” Shepard nodded as her eyes locked onto it.

James took down as many of the husks swarming the area as he could with his pistol. Shepard tossed the turian a couple of clips for his assault rifle and did the same. They made short work of them and the moment they were all down. She took careful aim at the man sitting in the middle of them on a mound of rock.

“Move! I got a shot!” she barked at James, who had crossed in front of her.

“Turn... back....” the 'doctor' growled, his voice resonating fiercely around the room as he held a detonator in a shaking hand.

“Garneau!” Shepard snapped and lowered her pistol. She meant to take this man alive if at all possible.

“ _Spirits!_ ” Garrus snapped, eyes widening as he grabbed Shepard and hauled her into the semi-shelter of the doorway behind them.

It all happened so fast. One minute, the doctor was sitting there holding the detonator. The next Garrus was grabbing her just as the man pressed the button. The explosion pelted them all with rock and gore. She had ducked her head down against the turian's armored chest mere seconds before the explosion. The splash of hot wetness had rained down over her around her bondmate's neck and cowl.

“Dammit...” Shepard whispered as she stepped around the turian to see the carnage.

“He's everywhere.” James said, wiping red muck off his face.

“Yeah... he's here...” Garrus said, holding his arms out and allowing the red muck to drip off them. “He's on the wall, he's on the ceiling...”

“Hey... I got something over here.” James called after moving off to the other side of the room.

Garrus followed the man quickly and knelt down beside something. Shepard walked toward them slowly, unsure exactly how to feel about this turn of events. She coughed at the cloying smell of decay that swamped her sinuses before she ever saw the body. Covering her mouth, she stopped before her team.

“Shepard... this... mess.... this wasn't Garneau.” Garrus said as he rolled the body over and examined the data pad that had been protected by his rotting corpse. He let out a remorseful sigh as he glanced back up at her. “This is.”

“How long has he been dead?” Shepard asked, refusing to move any closer to the smell.

“Awhile... maybe a week.” Garrus answered.

“The altercation...” Shepard said softly in sudden understanding. “So leviathan has Bryson killed, takes over an entire colony and uses them as puppets... for what? To kill one man?”

“Seems a little.... excessive.” Garrus agreed with her unspoken conclusion.

“What did you know, Garneau?” Shepard said quietly, ignoring the smell as she drew closer and gazed at the dead man.

“Could be something useful on this. There are several encrypted files here. Eight missed calls from Dr. Bryson.” Garrus said as he stood once more and handed her the data pad. “Dr. _Ann_ Bryson.”

“ _Ann_ Bryson?” Shepard asked, the name catching her attention.

“Who... who are you? What are you doing here?” a woman asked as she and several of the researchers stepped into the room. It was clear they were confused.

“I'm Commander Shepard. Are you alright?” she turned and asked as she headed toward the small group.

“I think so.” the woman answered, rubbing her forehead with her wrist. “I feel like... I feel strange, but... alright.”

“Can you tell me what's going on here?” Shepard asked, she did not expect to get much from these people.

“Not really... I... ugh... it just seemed... cold....” the woman answered at length.

“And dark...” Garrus supplied quietly.

“Yes... it was like a... feeling.” the woman looked up and nodded.

“If dark was a feeling....” the man who had sat down on a slab of nearby stone said quietly.

“What about the artifact?” Shepard asked as she indicated the glowing chunk of rock that hid it.

“Right... that came out of the mine. Head office was supposed to send someone after it....” the man answered with a shrug.

“And this man... do you know him?” Shepard pointed to the body behind them.

“I've never seen him before. Goddess, how did he die... and when?” the asari among them gasped at the sight of him.

“Hey, Commander. Cortez says the Reapers just broke off and hightailed it out of the system.” James blurted after a strained moment of silence.

“Reaper?” one miner asked.

“What's a Reaper?” one of the men asked.

“Wait... what year do you think it is?” the commander asked on a sudden whim. She had a bad feeling about the answer she was certain to get.

“2176.” the asari answered matter of factly.

“21 _76_ was ten years ago.” Shepard said, that sinking feeling rolling into the pit of her stomach now.

“What?” the asari asked in disbelief. “But... that... uh... that can't be.”

“Let's arrange for these people to be evacuated into temporary quarantine.” Shepard said as she turned and headed back toward the door she and her team had come in through.

“If these people have been out of it for that long... they're in for a hell of a shock.” the turian's voice was breathy with his own shock at the amount of time the miners had lost.

Shepard turned back toward him and the milling group of confused people. She looked them over with a thoughtful nod. They were just one more reason stacked on her plate. One more reason to win this war and sent the Reapers back to hell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, surgery is postponed, not sure how long... but we'll have chapters for awhile yet before they slow down too terribly much. =)


	33. Chocolate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus is anxious to get the gore washed off as they return to the Normandy.

“It now seems leviathan not only has the power to destroy a Reaper, but also possesses an indoctrination ability.” EDI said over the shuttle's comm system as they breached the mining facility's kinetic barrier.

“Do you think it actually _is_ a Reaper?” Garrus asked, his concern carrying over through his sub-harmonics as he took hold of a personnel handle near his bondmate.

“If it is a Reaper, then I wanna know what it's up to.” Shepard said, her voice had finally returned to normal. “How long has it been out here? And more importantly, why? EDI, did we get _anything_ from Garneau's notes?”

Garrus watched her make her way to a seat and drop into it. The bruises around her neck still sharply contrasted against her paler skin. There were beginning to fade, however. There was that, at least. That banshee had come too close to crushing her throat before he had tackled it. Everything still hurt from that. Most of all his head and rib plate ached. He was pretty sure he might have cracked that plate again. There was no way to be absolutely sure until he could strip the armor off, however.

“Yes.” EDI finally answered. Clearly the AI had been chewing on that data after Shepard forwarded it to the Normandy. “They suggest that Garneau created a way to block the artifact's mind affecting properties. The artifact seems to be the key.”

“Agreed. When I head back to Bryson's office, I want you there.” Shepard said firmly.

“Yes, Commander.” EDI confirmed.

Shepard looked up at Garrus and nodded briefly. “You're coming too.”

Garrus closed his eyes for the briefest of seconds before nodding. He would have gone rather she ordered it or not. This mission just kept getting messier. There was no way he intended to leave her to deal with it alone. _Messy... that's rich_. His sub-harmonics rumbled in disgust as he glanced between himself, Shepard and Vega. Each of them was covered in the 'doctor' in varying degrees. He meant to hit the shower as soon as they boarded the Normandy.

Shepard had taken a seat and leaned forward now uncomfortably. “I wanna know what the hell these artifacts really are and what they can do.”

“Whatever they are, they're too dangerous to have around.” Garrus finally came out with what he had been thinking since seeing his bondmate's reaction to the one in Bryson's lab.

“And we've got one sitting right in the middle of the Citadel.” Shepard acknowledged with a sigh.

They all felt the kick of the thrusters as the shuttle entered the Normandy's bay. Garrus barely waited for the shuttle to touch down as he swung himself out to the deck plating. Shepard was eyeing him as he glanced back at her. He held up an arm and gave it a cursory sniff with a choked grunt at the awful smell. She got the reasoning for his rush as she followed him across the shuttle bay to the elevator.

James stepped in with them and poked the button for the crew deck. The man looked down at the dried gore on his left side and sneered. “It's gonna take a month to get not-Garneau out of all the flex-mesh of my armor.”

“Shower with the armor on.” Shepard suggested blandly.

“Are you kidding, Lola? Do you know how hard it is to get it off.... this.... once it's wet?” Vega asked, flexing a bicep.

Garrus groaned and Shepard simply shook her head. Some things never changed. Vega was one of those staples that made life a little less... serious. The turian could not suppress the slight flare of his mandibles at that.

The elevator door opened on the crew deck and Vega stepped out. Some of the crew were in the mess and Garrus realized it must be mealtime. He certainly was not interested in food at that particular moment. The smell of a slaughter house roasting in the sun was enough to deter his appetite.

“Oh _spirits!_ ” came the dual-toned gasp of a turian female Garrus thought must have left the Normandy by now. She rarely left the space she had claimed. “ _Disgusting, smelly human!_ Go shower before I hose you down right here!”

“Come on, _Lil_. You know want some of this.” Vega laughed on his way toward the men's room.

“You _reek_... like a _garbage_ scow!” Lilfrey snapped at him, her sub-harmonics screaming at the offensive scent of him.

Garrus could not help the snicker that escaped him at the sight of her pushing Vega toward the men's room as the elevator doors closed. The look on Shepard's face told him she had no idea of the current dynamics in the mess hall lately. Her brows were knitted together in a half frown with a faint smile of curiosity plastered across her face.

As the elevator took them up to the captain's cabin, her locks on him and seemed to dance. “Is there something I should know?”

“Hmm... Jimmy flirts.... and.... Lil... well...” Garrus ducked his head faintly as he stepped out of the elevator with a slight flaring of his mandibles.

“Are you telling me they're... dating?” Shepard said in mild exasperation.

“Well... I'm not sure I'd go _that_ far.” Garrus chuckled as he stepped around the corner into their bathroom. “ _Sleeping_ together... maybe.”

“I doubt you mean bunkmates.” Shepard grumbled, but the corners of her mouth were attempting to pull upward. “You think they're 'blowing off steam'?”

“Hmm... maybe. Lil's always been uptight. Maybe... a little _human_ action...” he could not help the evil little chuckle that escaped him as his eyes locked to his bondmate.

Garrus barely ducked the sponge that was lobbed at his head over that one. The chuckle deepened into a resonate rumble as he turned the water on and dowsed himself, armor and all. Vega was right about one thing, he realized. Getting not-Garneau out of their armor's flex-mesh was a nightmare. The moment he was satisfied with the results, he began stripping the armor off. As he reached the layer of his undersuit, he realized it had not escaped this mission either.

Shepard had traded places with him while he was stripping the hardsuit off. Now she stepped toward him, her hand pressing gently to his left side. He hissed in pain at the contact, glancing down at the deep blue stains across the yellow bands of the suit. That plate, he realized, was not getting the chance to properly mend. Next time they stopped off at the Citadel, he planned to visit one of the small turian specific clinics and have it fused... or filed. Chakwas was good, but her knowledge was limited.

“What can we do about this?” Shepard asked softly, concern pooling in her eyes.

“Shore leave.” he answered softly and began peeling the undersuit off.

“I'm working on that. Waiting for Hackett to approve it.” Shepard admitted.

Garrus grunted with a nod as he stepped back under the flow of the shower head. He seriously doubted that admiral was going to grant them shore leave. They would have had better luck getting that approval from Anderson. Unfortunately, Anderson was not a rear admiral. The man still had the Council's ear, but he did not have much pull with Rear Admiral Steven Hackett.

As Shepard stepped into his embrace beneath the spray of the water, he pushed Hackett out of his mind. The admiral was a hard ass, but he had dealt with that type before. If necessary, he realized he would butt heads with the man if he had to. The Normandy's entire crew needed that break.

Shepard handed him her bottle of soap and he coated his hands with it before rubbing them over her skin. He had nothing he could easily compare the silken sensation of her skin sliding wetly against his palms with. She leaned into him, too exhausted to do more. He understood the feeling, but he knew they were not done just yet. She still had a report to file and he needed to check in on those calibrations in the main battery.

Later, when they finally fell into bed, he knew they would simply pass out from the drag of the day. Some days, he felt closer to one hundred and thirty than his actual thirty years. _Not quite thirty, Vakarian. You haven't seen this year's birthday yet_.

Glancing down at his exhausted bondmate, he realized she must feel closer to Nana's age. Her thirty-second birthday was rapidly approaching and he had no idea what to do to celebrate it. If Hackett approved shore leave, he might come up with a couple of ideas. The idea struck him then to speak to Victus. If anyone one could torque Hackett's nose out of joint enough to approve it, that man could. Once he knew they would have some downtime, he would set some other ideas into motion.

Garrus turned with Shepard and allowed the water to rinse them both off. She was nearly asleep on her feet as he shut the water off. He snorted at both her current state of alertness and his own hatching plans. He was going to need Joker's help to put a few things into motion. His apartment was too small for the entire crew to squeeze into. He thought he might check around, see if anyone was willing to 'donate' some space for a couple of days.

Shepard jolted to alertness as he shifted and she frowned. “Leviathan... what is it? What is it about the artifacts that makes them capable of such deep mind control?”

“Strange stuff back on that asteroid.” Garrus admitted with a sigh as he grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her. “We've seen indoctrination before, but.... ten years? Leviathan had it's own private army.”

“Yeah...” she murmured with a nod. “How much longer might it have lasted?”

“Seems like we came along just in time. I can't imagine the Reapers would have left that mining facility stand much longer.” Garrus let out a tired breath as he toweled himself off. He glanced passively at the jar of oil and chose to ignore it. “Just when I thought we were getting a handle on the Reapers... this happens. Maybe leviathan's _more_ than a bull's eye?”

“Let's _hope_ it's not what you're thinking. I don't think the galaxy can handle a new kind of Reaper.” Shepard stressed her opinion and let out a tired sigh. “I don't think _I_ can.”

That was the moment his omni-tool chose to chime. Shepard stepped out of the bathroom still wrapped in her towel and he followed. Tali was the last person he had expected to ping him when her voice came flooding over his private comm. His bondmate glanced back at him with a smile and a shake of her head.

“Do you ever feel awkward being the only turian assigned to the ship?” Tali blurted.

“I dunno...” he practically purred, a smile flaring his mandibles as he followed Shepard into their living space. “Should I?”

“I just mean... not having anyone else _like_ you around... most of the time?” Tali stumbled over her question. It was clear she had forgotten that his family and Lilfrey were still aboard the Normandy.

“Hmm... doesn't seem to bother Liara.” he answered as he dropped onto the couch, a towel around his waist.

“But _she_ can eat their food.” Tali stressed and he finally saw where this was coming from.

“Right...” he drawled and could not contain the huffing laugh that trilled through his sub-harmonics. “...we're out of chocolate, aren't we?”

“ _Garrus_... please, _please_ tell me you have a bar or two stashed somewhere...” Tali gasped across the comm. “ _Your sister_ snatched the last bar in the draw this morning.”

“The world is ending.... and _she_ wants chocolate?” Shepard muttered barely under her breath.

“Hmmm...” Garrus hummed with a nod. “You know the storage cubby on the right-hand side of the battery?”

“The one your feet always stuck out of when we came looking for you late at night?” Tali asked thoughtfully.

“That's the one.” Garrus huffed and dragged the moment out. “There's an open panel near the back to the right. You'll find a few extra bars in there. You're welcome to them.”

There was a squeal and the sound of rushing feet. “ _I love you!_ ”

Garrus frowned at that as the connection closed. His eyes met Shepard's and there was a puzzled look on her face. It transitioned into a frown before she shook her head. He sincerely hoped his bondmate had not just gotten the wrong idea. That could prove disastrous.


	34. Soma-Kii

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard and Garrus find a few minutes to relax before stepping back into the grind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little shorter than usual due to some pre-op stress.
> 
> Update Note: Surgery postponed again... sigh. Some snafu with scheduling. It may be better to update my readers/friends after the fact.

Shepard's mind was already chewing on the leviathan problem. She ignored the quarian's off-color comment for the moment. There was no point making a big deal of nothing. After all, her bondmate had made it a point to park himself on the couch and give the quarian directions rather than go after the chocolate himself. She eyed him thoughtfully for a moment as he leaned back with a sigh and draped his arms over the back of the couch. He sat there nude, his towel draped over the arm of the couch.

“You need to oil.” Shepard said softly as she stood before him.

Garrus' eyes opened slowly as he raised his head just enough to look at her. Those crystal blue eyes rolled toward her tiredly before he let out a moan and closed them again. Clearly he was just as tired as she was and had no interest in moving.

Stepping in a little closer, she knelt down between his knees and ran a hand over the jagged edges of the cracked plate. He flinched at her touch as she gently traced a few shallow gouges in his hide just below it. This had been a problem since Omega when Aria had shot him. She could not see it becoming less of an issue over the next mission. He was going to get that looked at when they reached the Citadel. She planned to make sure of that.

“Joker.” Shepard called into the comm as she patched her link into the ship's system. “Lay in a course to the Citadel. We've got some loose ends to tie up.”

“Aye, aye, Commander.” came the pilot's voice. “Course laid in. ETA: four hours.”

“Understood. Shepard out.”

“Hmmm... time enough for a little sleep.” Garrus sighed tiredly, his chest plate expanding with a deep breath.

“Come on, Vakarian. Up off the couch. We're oiling first.” Shepard said as she practically dragged him to his feet.

“But... the sheets will stick to me.” Garrus sounded like a petulant child bemoaning his bedtime.

“Would you rather your plates crack and peel?” she reminded him.

A wordless half growl escaped him at that and he turned to stumble up the stairs toward the bathroom. His bondmate smiled as she followed him. She knew he was just as exhausted as she was, but the last thing he wanted was to deal with that again. With the rib plate already damaged, it would just make things worse if he allowed them to peel or crack now. Leathery though his hide was, it would eventually start peeling too. That was about as bad as chapped human skin. Cracking and bleeding was entirely possible.

It did not take long to slather him in oil, honestly. Little more than twenty minutes, all told. That included patting the heavier areas of oil dry. His rumbling displeasure at being coerced into submitting to the treatment faded into a purr by the time she was finished working the oil in. She could tell by the way he was leaning on the sink that his muscles had relaxed to something closer to pudding.

Chuckling, Shepard took his hand and led him out of the bathroom. Her voice, when she spoke sounded nearly as exhausted as she felt. She was still a little hoarse from the banshee's grip on her throat. “Alright, let's get a couple of hours of downtime before we step back into the grind.”

“This... has me worried.” Garrus murmured as he sat on the end of the bed and traced the bruises around her neck with a talon.

“It'll be fine. Not the first set of bruises to last this long.” Shepard sighed and sat down beside.

“No... but they may be some of the worst.” Garrus nodded, his sub-harmonics faintly humming that melody he normally hummed whenever she had a nightmare. “She had a pretty good grip on you.”

“She did, but you took her down. Saved my life. That's what counts.” the commander reminded him.

“Hmm... true. I just... mmm... I just wish... I could have done more.” he grumbled softly, his hand resting over the bondmark on her left shoulder as his thumb delicately rubbed against the bruised flesh of her throat.

“You did what had to be done. It might have been reckless as hell, but it was effective.” Shepard said as she leaned forward to rest her forehead against his plated brow. She closed her eyes briefly, then opened them to lock with his. Her voice was softer when she spoke again. “No one else would do half of what you do to protect me, lover.”

“Soma-kii...” Garrus breathed in his native language, eyes locked to hers and seemingly shining with an inner light.

“Is that right?” she asked, a smile spreading across her face at the reverent tone of his voice and the humming song that filled the space between from his sub-harmonics. It was an unfamiliar word, but she knew it had some significant meaning in turian culture from the way his voice had twined around the word.

“Mhm...” he nodded slightly and shifted his head to capture her lips in his approximation of a kiss.

Shepard reveled in that kiss. There was no urgency to sate burning passion. Instead, it was the kind of kiss that spoke of love that meant to transcend any obstacle, even death. The lilting melody of his sub-harmonic 'song' helped to strengthen that certainty as she slipped her arms around his carapace.

“En nix-ah sus.” he breathed near her ear as they settled into the bed and curled around each other.

Nuzzling into his neck, Shepard allowed herself to drift. He had only told he loved her once with his translator on. Just once, but she knew. She knew that phrase he had just uttered in a drowsy voice and was certain that was what he was saying. He had repeated it several times that night after Benning when his omni-tool crapped out. She never questioned his reasoning. There was no need. She knew his heart and she knew why he did not say it through the translator. Or at least she thought she did. Eventually, she was sure, he would explain his reasons... when he was ready.

For now, Shepard simply enjoyed the feel of him all around her. She pressed her forehead to his plated brow once more and smiled at the vibration that passed from his resonance chamber through her sinuses. Small though that chamber was, it was responsible for the dual-toned hum of his sub-harmonics. It had taken her quite some time to sort that bit of anatomy out on the extranet.

Leaving the technicalities alone, she relaxed and began to drift. It felt like she had only been down for a matter of minutes before Joker's voice cut through their quarters. She groaned loudly when the pilot apologized for waking them. Joker was following her instructions to the letter.

Shepard realized she felt awful as she rolled away from Garrus. The turian was already sitting up and rubbing the plates of his face. She caught sight of the puffiness just under his eyes. The soft tissue there was slipping just past the ridges of his eye sockets. She imagined she looked just as tired. They needed more sleep, but there was information to gather and a mission to complete. Leviathan must be found.

Groaning, she dragged herself to the edge of the bed and took the clothes Garrus held out to her. She had not noticed the turian squirming into his undersuit. This was exactly why she planned to take EDI with her into Bryson's lab. The synthetic woman did not need sleep and she would catalog everything she found. Shepard's tired organic mind might miss something important.

Garrus helped her to her feet the second she stamped her feet down into her boots. They were out the door and into the elevator in a matter of minutes. EDI met them in the shuttle bay and remained blessedly silent as they climbed in.

Gathering this information meant the difference between finding Ann Bryson and maybe tracking down leviathan itself. She had a theory about Ann. The woman was likely the daughter of the man she had watched be gunned down by his own assistant. She doubted the woman knew her father was dead yet. That was not news she cared to deliver, to be sure. Glancing at Garrus as he swayed on his feet before holding onto a personnel handle, she realized he might not be up to that task either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soma-kii - soulmate  
> en nix-ah sus - I love you
> 
> I'm thinking we may skip over the secondary exploration of the lab with just a piece here and there as reference points.


	35. Messy Business

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard is hopping from point to point with very little time in between. It's wearing her down, but her turian providing a bit of mess hall 'comic relief' along the way.

“Based on the search filters established by this data, Dr. Ann Bryson is somewhere in the Zaherin System.” EDI said as she scanned the galaxy map in Bryson's lab with her omni-tool. “I have extrapolated her possible location. Only one planet in that system is capable of supporting life.”

“And that is?” Shepard asked quietly.

“Namakli.” EDI said as closed her omni-tool.

“Alright. We've got our destination.” Shepard said with a nod before glancing toward the car on the balcony. “We'll pick Garrus up at the turian clinic and head back to the Normandy.”

“Yes, Commander.” EDI acknowledged.

Shepard wasted no time in heading for the red car waiting just outside the lab for them. Garrus was her first priority. She had insisted he go to the turian clinic that specialized in plate conditions while they were here on the Citadel, even going so far as to drop him off along the way. The commander sincerely hoped there was something they could do for him. He insisted it just needed time and she did not doubt that.

Garrus was waiting for them on one of the upper balconies when she pulled the cab alongside it. He did not look pleased as he climbed in. The sour look remained even as they pulled away from the balcony and headed back into the upper lane of traffic.

“And....” Shepard prompted softly.

“Rest and shore leave...” he grumbled quietly, his eyes remaining fixed on one of the upper beams near the Presidium. “It just.... needs time to mend.”

“But you're good to go, right?” Shepard asked, glancing at the small monitor that displayed the rear of the vehicle and catching his profile in it. He did not answer. “Right?”

“Hmm... more or less.” was all the answer he gave her.

The rest of the trip to the Normandy's docking bay was virtually silent. The way he had answered left her wondering if there was more to the damage of his rib plate than met the eye. He favored it if he took a hard enough hit. Then there there was the limp that had never quite left him from the right leg spur. He was becoming a collection of injuries that were not bouncing back quickly enough to manage some of the missions they were being forced to handle.

The second they entered the airlock, Shepard put a hand on the turian's arm to stop him. He glanced down at her and the hard look on his face softened. Garrus let out a breath and rolled his neck, gripping the rim of his armored cowl to relieve the pressure it had created. She heard the damaged vertebrae in his neck pop loudly, amplified through his slightly open mouth.

“You sure you're up for this next mission?” she asked cautiously.

“I'm _fine_ , Shepard.” he drawled as he dropped his hands from his cowl.

“Maybe you should sit this one. I could take Vega or Javik with me...” she began.

“And varren will learn to _fly_.” Garrus snarked and gave her a sideways look as they stepped out of the airlock. “You know missions go sideways if I'm not there... to pull your six out of the fire.”

“Alright, smart ass.” Shepard gave him a half smile and a huff of a laugh as they walked through the CIC. “Just don't... pull anymore stunts like the last one. I need you in one piece to guard my six.”

“Hmmmm.... it really is a _very nice six_....” the turian purred in her ear before dragging an ungloved talon up the right cheek of her ass.

Shepard squealed and all but jumped half way to the elevator. Traynor's eyes practically jerked toward them from her console. A moment later a slow smile began to spread across her face before she turned back with a shake of her head.

“Alright, Garrus... I'll meet you in the mess hall in five. We've got a doctor to locate. I don't plan to search for her on an empty stomach.” Shepard grumbled at him, but she gave him that lopsided smile before he disappeared into the elevator.

“Yes, ma'am.” he rumbled in that almost seductive crooning dual-toned voice.

It took her less that five minutes to get their course set for the Zaherin System. She hoped they found the information that they needed there. The Reapers were afraid of leviathan. She had to figure out why. Leviathan was dangerous, that had already been established, but she was willing to face it. She just hoped it was willing to help them defeat the Reapers.

The mess hall was quiet when the elevator opened on it. Garrus was already sitting at the far table with a steaming mug in front of him. His hands were wrapped around it and he stared blankly into its depths. She knew that look. He was contemplating something big.

Garrus looked up at her, his mandibles flaring slightly with a happy trill warbling through his sub-harmonics as she passed him. She gave a smile as she headed into the kitchenette. Food, that was what she needed and she needed it now. Her stomach felt as if it were trying to eat its way out through her spine. Saving a galaxy, she realized, was much harder work than she had ever expected. She did not want to think about the weight she had lost since her resurrection.

Rummaging around for a minute or two, she found a rare steak flavored ration bar and snatched it. She had it open well before she made it back to the table her turian was sitting at. His nose plates bunched together as he sniffed at the aroma rolling off the bar. He let out a faint hum of appreciation as he caught the scent.

“What _is_ that?” he asked as she sat down and took a bite of the bar.

“T-bone flavored and....” she held up the second bar she had yet to open triumphantly. “...mashed potatoes and gravy.”

As she chewed the bite, she set the rest of the bar down for a second to open the other. It was good, she had to admit that much. Tasted like exactly what it said it was, for sure. Her eyes danced across the turian in amusement as he hooked a talon into the wrapper and pulled it toward him. After a moment, he picked it up and sniffed at it again. His eyes closed with a faint flaring of his mandibles.

“Hmmm... smells like a mix of kantog and gammok.” he murmured before breaking off a small corner and popping it into his mouth. His brow-plates raised as he locked eyes with her. “Tastes a little like it too, but... hmm... a little bland.”

Shepard said nothing. He had already proven he was not allergic, but it was still rare for him to snitch a bite of her food. She knew it messed with his digestion if he snuck too much, but his curiosity tended to get him into to trouble from time to time.

“What's a gammok?” she asked after he slid the bar back across the table and began rolling the small bite around his mouth.

“It's big. Big like... ostrich big.” Vega said from the far side of the mess hall as he entered from the crew quarters. “Plated like an armadillo and mean as diablo with six inch razors for teeth.”

“And... you _eat_ that thing?” Shepard asked Garrus incredulously.

“Hmm... you eat chicken.” he gave her a rumbling chuckle.

“Yeah, but...” Shepard's eyes were big as she stared at him in awe. “...chicken is a small bird. That gammok sounds like six feet of death.”

“They look meaner than they are.” Garrus shrugged, his nose plates crinkling together as she opened the other bar. He frowned at the aroma rolling off it. “What's that?”

“Potatoes and gravy... or so it says. Doesn't taste very good though.” Shepard groused as she spit the bite back out.

Garrus waved a talon at her and she handed the bar over. She smiled at his curiosity. Since they had discovered a tolerance to each other's amino based foods, he seemed to want to taste everything. He tasted her awful potatoes and gravy bar now.

No sooner than the bite disappeared into his mouth, he spit it back out. The turian literally tried to wipe the taste off his tongue with the palm of his hand. Shepard leaned forward against that table and burst out laughing at the look that pinned itself to his face.

“ _Spirits...!_ ” the word was strangled as he continued to 'lick' his own hand. “Ugh... that's... um... that's.... _awful_. Tastes like lystera.”

“What's lystera?” Shepard asked, testing the roll of the word once her laughter had died down.

“Hmm... gear grease.” he answered simply as he took a gulp of the cold kava left in his mug.

“Oh... ew. I'm sorry, lover.” Shepard breathed with a laugh behind it at the continued sour look and licking of his palm.

“We've reached Namakli, Commander.” Joker's voice came across the comm a moment later.

“Understood, Joker.” Shepard stated as she got to her feet. Looking her bondmate over, she gave him an approving nod. “You ready for this?”

“Hmm.” he gave her a humming nod as he too got to his feet.

“Liara, meet us in the shuttle bay.” Shepard patched into the ship's comm then.

“On my way, Shepard.” the asari confirmed.

It took them minutes only to reach the shuttle bay. Liara joined them less than ten minutes after they began equipping gear. Shepard had chosen to bring Liara along due to the planet's history. She thought perhaps her blue friend might have some insights into this desert world they were about to land on. After all, the asari had been the first to settle and colonize it.

Making their way into the shuttle, Shepard noticed her turian was pacing a bit more than normal. She knew he must have checked into the battery before settling in the mess hall. He was sure to be receiving reports from the forces around Palaven and its moons. This seemed like something more, however.

“So we got reports of an attack on an excavation site.” Garrus stated as he came to a stop before her.

The shuttle kicked free of the Normandy's kinetic barrier then and she nodded. She had seen those reports herself. Nodding, she glanced toward the ceiling and addressed the Normandy's AI. “Right. EDI, can you tell us anything else?”

“This is the main site of a series of excavations established under Dr. Garrett Bryson. Staff records confirm the project lead is his daughter, Ann. She has recently uncovered another artifact possibly linked to the leviathan.” EDI supplied.

“I'm betting that discovery must have made this dig site a target.” Garrus rumbled softly from his place beside her.

Shepard nodded reluctantly at that and pushed herself off the bulkhead she had been leaning against. “I hate to say it, but...”

“An attack means we're on the right trail.” Garrus finished for her, clearly picking up her line of thought.

“Exactly.” Shepard sighed. She did not like to think of it that way, but there did not seem to be any other way to confirm the correct course at this point.

“And since Bryson's daughter is our only lead, our objective is clear.” Garrus nodded in understanding. “Let's hope we're not too late.”

“Cortez?” Shepard called toward the shuttle pilot.

“Nothing so far, Commander. If she's down there, she hasn't responded to or hails. Getting some strange signals though. Give me a minute.” Cortez answered.

“The artifact she uncovered... it may have caused additional problems.” Liara stated softly. “Who knows what we'll find.”

“That's what worries me.” Shepard nodded and glanced back at the shuttle pilot. “Take us in closer.”

“Copy that.” Cortez responded. A moment later, the man's hands were flying across his console. His voice was sharp as he blurted the problem out. “We have hostiles!”

“Evade them! Take us in and drop us off... then get clear.” Shepard ordered.


	36. Not So Friendly Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus is not enjoying this mission to Namakli in the least.

“Attention shuttle... this is dr.... n.... Bryson.” the comm suddenly crackled as Shepard opened the hatch. We are ...nder... attack.”

Shepard leaned out the hatch hanging onto the personnel handle above her. Her eyes squinted in the gusting wind as she clearly tried to get a look at the figures on the landing platform. Eyes widening a second later, she barked. “That's her!”

Garrus maintained his position close to her, his own hand loop into a personnel handle as well. He glanced at his bondmate before focusing his attention on the doctor and her companion within in the structure on the landing platform. His visor fed him a steady stream of vital stats. Brow-plates drawing down, he glanced behind them, knowing he could not see out the other side of the shuttle. Something was not right.

“Ok, let's get – ” Shepard began and was cut off by something hitting the shuttle.

The shuttle jolted and canted sideways. Shepard's footing slipped and she was virtually dangling out into open air by that one personnel strap. Out of panic, Garrus made a grab for her as Cortez banked and rolled the shuttle in a desperate attempt to get it under some kind of control again.

“Dammit!” Cortez barked and struggled with the controls. “Tracking multiple bogies!”

“Get us down there!” Shepard snapped as Garrus and Liara hauled her back into the shuttle.

“Negative. It's too hot. Heading to a lower platform – hang on!” Cortez snapped back as his hands danced over the controls.

The second he had brought the shuttle in low enough, Shepard drew her pistol and glanced back at the team. Garrus gave her a nod as he glanced toward the gap. He knew they could make the jump.

“Alright! Let's go!” Shepard shouted the order over the noise of wind and enemy howls.

Garrus waited until the women were out before jumping toward the platform himself. It was an easy jump, but it jolted right up through his feet an into his damaged plates. He groaned silently, but kept moving. The leg spur was better than the rib plate, but just barely. He was not about to let it compromise his ability to protect his mate, however.

Glancing up at the sky the moment the shuttle blasted clear, Garrus realized they were way too exposed. There looked to be dozens or more harvesters in the air above this facility. “We can't stay here, Shepard!”

The words were barely out of his mouth when a couple of those meteor-like balls of fire streaked across the sky to hit the platform. Husks exploded out of it and he drew his assault rifle quickly. This was about to get ugly, he had no doubt of that.

“This isn't a dig site, it's a warzone.” Liara stated the obvious as she yanked her own pistol free of its holster.

“You think?” Garrus snapped as he mowed down a couple of husks heading in his direction.

“We don't have time for this! Dr. Bryson's somewhere up above us!” Shepard barked and took off through the husks, shouldering them aside as she ran.

Garrus growled audibly and ignored the look Liara gave him as he stepped into a run after his bondmate. He hated it when she ran blindly through the enemy like this. Swinging his assault rifle onto his back, he took a hopping step and yanked his combat knife from the sheath strapped to his right shin. The gun would do no good if he was running through them. Slashing at them was the best option, the only option left to him really.

“Keep up, T'Soni!” he barked as he took a swing at a husk moving in too close with the blade.

“Hello? Is anyone there? I'm coming down.” Ann Bryson's voice came across their comms as they moved into the lower section of the facility.

A fireball hit the facility, knocking Shepard back a couple of feet. She staggered and kept moving as she called to the other woman. “No! Stay where you are! It's too dangerous – we'll come to you!”

“Ok... take the elevator up on the far side.... but... who are you? You don't look like Cerberus.” Bryson said with a note of relief sounding in her voice.

“We're not. I'm Commander Shepard – Alliance Navy. Just sit tight. We're on our way!” Shepard ordered the woman as she staggered and stumbled through the blasts from above.

Garrus had finally caught up with her and followed as closely as he could manage with all the shaking of the walkways. After that bridge on Omega, he was definitely not thrilled to be on a similar structure now. Especially not with enemy fire coming from above and destroying big sections of it as they moved.

One blast ahead of the commander dislodged a large sections of that walkway, dropping it by several feet. It had wedged into the rock beneath it. The turian still cringed when Shepard dropped down the several feet to run along it, heading for the other side. It shook and wobbled as he followed her. His heart pounded against his keel through that run.

Heart sinking, he watched his bondmate b-line toward a ladder leading downward even as husks ran at them from the building ahead. He dropped down the nine feet to the platform below as she slid down the ladder. There was another ladder leading up a few feet away and he realized it must have been an emergency escape to circumvent the building brimming with Reaper-spawn. Once they were on the roof of the pod below, they ran past the husks pounding at the glass to their left.

Garrus dropped alongside the commander as they both realized the only way through was to head across the next pod. She saw it before he did and indicated the opening into the lower pod.

“Through here...” Shepard pointed with her pistol before disappearing down what must once have been a skylight.

The pod was a disaster zone. There were storage crates broken and scattered everywhere. Garrus noticed the body first as they climbed down to yet a lower platform. He wondered how much lower they would be forced to descend before they found that elevator.

“Commander, they're swarming everywhere up here!” came the Ann's frantic voice.

“Can you find a place to hide?” Shepard tossed the idea out there quickly.

“I'll try.” Ann said.

“Take cover and stay put! We're coming!” Shepard barked as she popped the heat sync from her pistol and headed for another ladder leading downward.

It was broken and the drop too far for a human to safely make. Garrus nodded to himself as his bondmate stepped away from the ladder and started toward a drop that was not quite so high. He knew she could have enveloped herself in a biotic field and 'floated' down, but the wind was a huge factor here.

Shepard stopped and glanced back at him, clearly having not heard his heavier foot falls behind her. He pulled his assault rifle from his back after tucking his combat knife back into its sheath with a nod. “Go, I'll cover you!”

“Garrus...” Shepard growled at him.

“I've got this, Shepard. You're not going to make it to the elevator without cover fire.” Garrus did not give her time to argue. Instead, he stepped off the ledge and dropped to the platform below with a heavy thump. Glancing up, he called back to her before moving forward. “I'll meet you at the elevator!”

The turian heard her exasperated growl even before his comm nearly blasted his ear out the other side of his head. “You _better_ be at that elevator when I get there, _Vakarian!_ If you get yourself killed...”

“ _Relax_ , ma-kee-sa...” he drawled as he mowed down the husks climbing up the walls below where she and Liara ran. “It's going to take _more_ than a _Reaper_ to take me down.”

Moving forward, he continued picking off Reaper-spawn. Glancing up, he saw the harvester coming in hot. It's primary weapon already powered, it ignored him and fired on the platform above. His level shook violently and he was thrown against the railing. His assault rifle was knocked out of his hands as they hit the railing with a numbing impact. It fell over and disappeared in a near endless drop.

“This was a _real_ good idea, Vakarian.” he growled at himself as he pulled his pistol from its holster. His eyes followed the line of fire as the platform continued to shake. He growled as a set of stairs leading up a couple of levels collapsed under the blasts.

Continuing along the narrow walkway below them, Garrus saw where it rejoined the upper level and made his way up there. He rejoined the women quickly, glancing at the now collapsed stairs that led upward. “Well... we're not getting up that way.”

Shepard nodded and reached down to take the assault rifle lying across the chest of a dead man. Her eyes narrowed on the turian for a second before she tossed him the rifle. “You're in luck. Looks like an upgrade over your last one. What happened to it?”

“Hmm... that's.... an _interesting_... story.” he stammered as he looked the new weapon over quickly. “I'd love to give you the details.... later.”

“Right... when we don't have Reapers raining hellfire down on our heads.” Shepard shot him a smile and charged through the pod before them.

As they came out the other side of the pod near the collapsed stairs, Garrus spotted the ladder up to the roof first. “Shepard, got a way up here.”

The commander wasted no time in climbing up that ladder. Garrus allowed Liara to follow her while he took up his customary position at their flank. The husk flew over the edge and dropped past him before he even reached the top. Glancing back at it, he saw its head split open as it hit the walkway below.

“Wonderful.” he grumbled softly to himself at the sight. He knew his bondmate must have thrown it over the edge as it ran at her.

Garrus made it to the top just as she jumped across to a leveled off section of rock. She was pointing ahead of them a moment later. “Looks like there's a bridge over there.”

Shepard ran for the sparking control box. She backed away from it the second it clear sent a jolt up her arm. “Dammit! The controls are broken!”

“Let me take a look at that.” Garrus said, stepping past her.

“Garrus...” she grumbled softly.

Glancing back, he raised a hand and wiggled the three digits on it. “Insulated gloves. Standard equipment in all turian armor.”

Shepard relaxed a fraction and nodded at that. Liara stepped in close to her side and kept a sharp eye on their surroundings. He was surprised the asari had remained quiet so far. Normally she was a motor-mouth.

“Some wires are shorted. Shouldn't take much to fix it. Give me a second.” he said as he began sorting the wires out. The wiring harness was relatively simple. He heard the blast of a shockwave behind him along with the scream of some husks. Ignoring that, he twisted a couple of broken wires together and punched the button. “Got it! Raising bridge now!”

“Banshee!” Liara shouted and ran off toward the other side of the stone platform.

“Crap...” Garrus breathed. _This just gets better, doesn't it?_ Swapping his assault rifle for his sniper rifle, the turian took a breath and lined up the shot with the creature's head. “Head across the bridge! I got this one!”

The commander hesitated for only a heartbeat before passing between him and the console behind him. Liara continued toward the banshee. Clearly she had not heard him... or chose to ignore him. He had a shot and he meant to take it.

Inhale, hold... his breathing ceased as he took careful aim. Exhale.... it was slow and steady as his heart rate dropped and the faint tremors it created along the barrel of his rifle became nearly non-existent. Fire... the shot raced toward its target, cleaving through the side of its head. The banshee jerked to the side and dropped before Liara ever gather enough biotic energy to throw at it.


	37. Timing is Everything

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard knows they're racing against the clock to reach Dr. Ann Bryson. The trouble is, so do the Reapers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Friday! Here's a shiny new chapter. Oh... the second one of the day.

“Your aim is impeccable.” Liara said, her voice dripping sarcasm.

Shepard chuckled as she glanced between her bondmate and the asari. Liara certainly did not care to have her targets snatched away like that. She drew back toward the rest of the team and froze, her eyes locked on the wall above them.

“Shepard... look at this...” the asari breathed.

“Not a lot of time, Liara.” Shepard breathed out as she turned her gaze toward the wall as well.

“That's a Reaper.” Garrus rumbled as he braced his feet apart to take the shaking from the continuing attack.

“Why is it painted on the wall of a cliff.... on a planet that hasn't evolved any of its own life?” Shepard asked and turned to take out a running husk.

“Let's ask Dr. Bryson when we find her.” Garrus muttered as he turned toward the direction they had been headed.

“Agreed.” Shepard replied and stepped onto the still rising bridge.

“Careful, Shepard!” Garrus said sharply, his voice almost sounding a little hoarse.

Glancing back, she realized he was staring down through the grating at the drop. A split second later she drew his attention with a shout. “Let's move! That elevator can't be far!”

Shepard had to admit, she did not care for this set up. There was no railing to guard against the fall. The bridge rose up in sections. That worried her as well. Those hydraulic hinges could fail at any time. She realized he must be thinking of the suspended walkway on Omega that had nearly dropped him to his death as well. With that in mind, she ran to the far end and snatched a hold of the ladder leading up before she sailed off the end. She heard the sudden intake of breath from her bondmate at the recklessness of her actions and climbed up anyway.

The ladder shivered under her just before she reached the top. She heard the turian grunt faintly as he hauled himself up behind her. Liara followed a few seconds later. From the pinched look on his face, she was fairly certain the asari had insisted he go up next.

“Elevator spotted!” he's sub-harmonics seemed to almost sing at that as he pointed up the shattered ramp.

Shepard looked the debris over and decided they had no other recourse. They had to climb up there. She saw no other route up to that elevator. Tapping the metal flowing at waist level, she made sure it was not too hot. There were fires burning around the debris beyond. The moment she was satisfied it was safe enough, she climbed up with a grunt and jogged up the ramp.

The others followed her as she finally stepped over to the elevator's controls. She hit the call button and watched as it began its journey down toward them. It stuck fast several levels above in a pile of debris and she groaned.

“The elevator's stuck. Is there another way up?” Shepard called through the comm to the doctor above.

“I'll override the pod door near you! There's an access point above. But... _Commander_.... you'll have to _climb_ up.” Bryson stressed the situation.

The door to the pod opened an instant later and Shepard stepped in. She looked around in an effort to get her bearings. The place was a wreck, but to her left, she saw an opening leading out onto a ledge. The stairs she and her team had been unable to reach were closer there.

Moving out onto that ledge, she thought they might be able to make that jump across to the shaking platform at the base of the stairs. If not, it would be a messy end. Without a word, she stepped into a run and virtually threw herself over the wide gap.

“ _Dammit, Shepard!_ ” Garrus shouted behind her as soon as he realized what she was doing.

“If she can make that jump, so can I.” Liara muttered as she too ran for that ledge.

Garrus grumbled, his bondmate heard him as she turned to watch him. He took three quick steps and jumped, his legs flexing differently than the more humanoid members of the team's legs had. The turian staggered as he landed, favoring his right leg a bit more than normal. The commander realized that damaged spur must still be giving him issues. Chakwas had mentioned if it did not heal soon, it was going to need special attention. Clearly that time was coming sooner than anticipated.

“You alright?” Shepard asked, her hand on his shoulder the second he stopped beside her.

“Hmm... I'm fine.” he hummed and looked up at the climb ahead, brow-plates raising.

“Ok.” she accepted his assurance and headed up the stairs.

This was definitely not an easy run to say the least. Once they reached the top of the stairs, they were forced to veer off to the right and climb up several broken floor plates to the next level. The second she gained the top another fiery 'bomb' of Reaper-spawn landed on the platform.

“More of them ahead!” Garrus snapped as he cleared the top himself. “Ravagers!”

“God, I hate those things!” Shepard growled as she tossed herself into cover.

Liara threw out a biotic blast that caught the cannibal squarely in the chest. It dropped over the edge of the shattered platform to a messy end below. The commander swapped her pistol for the sniper rifle she had taken to toting on these missions. The ravager was a horror through the scope.

Shepard's aim was nothing like her bondmate's, but at least she was able to hit the target. Her turian was the best sniper she had ever seen. Somehow she wondered if maybe he was steadying himself with a touch of biotic power sometimes. It would make sense if he was. After all, his father had taught him to use whatever resources were at hand.

The shot from her rifle tore through the ravager in her scope. She literally blew one of its many legs off and it followed the cannibal to to a messy end. She had not seen the second ravager until it was too late. It fired at her, hitting her kinetic barriers hard. They crackled around her, but held.

“There's another of those primitive paintings on the wall here, Shepard.” Liara drew her attention to the wall facing them as the last of the Reaper-spawn dropped.

Shepard took note of it with a nod and ran for the gap leading to a short ladder. She heard Garrus' intake of breath the second she lept across. It bothered him, but he said nothing. He simply followed. As she climbed the ladder, she glanced to the right with a smile for the turian. He had hunkered down and jumped for the ledge above instead of climbing. Now he hung by his hands and flared his mandibles at her in a smug grin before pulling himself up.

“Cocky turian.” she breathed at him as his muscles corded with the effort of pulling himself up.

“Hmmm....you love it.” he hummed as she came to the top of the ladder.

“You know I do.” Shepard all but purred back at him as her hand dragged across his armored hip crest.

“Would you two mind.... possibly finishing this mission....?” Liara said breathlessly as she finally reached the top herself.

Garrus huffed a faint laugh at that and stepped into the next pod. He stopped and pointed toward the cannibal rising from the human corpse before them. “I think this guy's enjoying his man-wich a little too much.”

“Ugh... that's so disgusting, Garrus.” Shepard gasped, feeling as if she were about to lose her lunch right then and there.

“Hmm... but true.” the turian said a second before blowing a hole through the former batarian's bloated face.

“I'm going to introduce you to what humans call manwich very soon, Vakarian.” Shepard groused as she moved past the cannibal and his meal.

“Do I really want to know?” Garrus asked, his voice a mixture of disgust and morbid curiosity.

“Oh yeah.... you do.” Shepard nodded as they moved through that pod. “But I think you'll understand the reaction afterward.”  
“Hmm..” the turian rumbled.

“We're in luck. I found another way up.” Shepard called behind her as her pace quickened toward a semi-destroyed walkway that had degraded into a shattered ramp.

“You've got to be kidding me.” Garrus rumbled, clearly looking over the beams that were barely holding together.

“Shepard! Up here! We can make it through here.” Liara called just before she climbed up a ladder.

The wind buffed them as they followed her up the twisted ladder. It let go under the turian's weight with a squeal of tortured metal. He threw himself at the ledge and caught it easily enough. A few seconds later he hauled himself up.

“Commander! They've attacked my assistant! I think he's dead!” the doctor called through the comm.

Somehow Ann did not sound as distressed as she should have been. It brought a frown to Shepard's face, but she said nothing of it. She realized that indifference could be a symptom of shock. “Stay hidden, Doctor!”

“There's just too many of them!” Ann shouted.

The interior of the next pod was completely broken in two. The floor tiles fluttered in the wind like fabric as Shepard jumped across the gap. There was another ladder leading up just outside the slanted door and she climbed it. The cannibal that dropped from above seemed ready to take them all on at once. The commander rushed the creature and pushed it over the railing behind it.

The next ladder led up to more stable ground. The floor here was sanded rock carved from the cliff face. The path looked clear until she began to run past pillars and barrels. Reaper blasts shook the very bedrock as husks dropped from the skies and ran at them.

“ _Crap! Brute!_ ” Garrus shouted and took cover behind a series of barrels.

Shepard saw him palm a couple of heat syncs and lob them at the brute. Things were going a little too well as they exploded at the monster's feet. It teetered on the edge of the cliff and rolled off with a howl. She and her bondmate exchanged a look as they both breathed a sigh of laughter at the luck.

The husks were easy targets and she blew threw them quickly as she moved toward the other end of this open corridor. She saw the harvesters firing on the platform above long before Liara ever yelled out her warning. There was a rumbling sound, more a feeling really, deep in the rock beneath her feet.

“That platform's coming down!” the asari yelled just as the platform's clamps released from the stone under the barrage of fire.

The lower half of the one side smashed through the end of the open corridor. It embedded itself in the stone of the path and Shepard stopped. She stood there staring at the destruction blocking her path.

“ _Fuck!_ ” the commander snarled viciously as she searched for another route through the settling dust. “Go around!”

“No! No! Boyles! Stay down!” Ann was screaming at someone. “ _Oh god!_ ”

“What's happening?” Shepard demanded.

“They... they tried to run for it. The Reapers got them.” Ann called out desperately. “They know where we're hiding now!”

“We're nearly there. Stay in cover!” Shepard advised the woman.

The commander did not see the harvester coming up on her right as she moved across the debris strewn platform. It fired and knocked her back to roll against a stack of crates. Her kinetic barriers were no match for the globules of red energy they fired. She practically convulsed in pain, barely aware of Garrus dragging her into a seated position before pulling her around behind those crates. She helped to scoot, pushing off with her feet as she attempted to aim her pistol at the harvester.

“Heads up!” Garrus shouted the moment he got her into safety. The turian stood and threw the biotically charged heat syncs at the harvester with a grunt before dropping back into cover.

Those heat syncs exploded right in the thing's face due to the distance of the throw. It shook its head and veered off, away from them in seconds. Shepard breathed a sigh of relief as she continued to recover from that blast.

“You alright?” Garrus asked quietly as the noise level died down for a moment.

“Yeah... we need to move.” Shepard breathed as she forced herself back up to her feet.

“You're sure?” Garrus clearly was not convinced.

“No time.” Shepard said as she staggered a couple of steps and finally shook off the affects of that last blast.


	38. Is There A Doctor In The House

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's something wrong with Ann Bryson and the entire Normandy team feels it.

Garrus followed her through the next pod, his eyes were pinned to her more than his surroundings. He saw the reddening of her skin at the collar line of her hardsuit. The cybernetics were working, helping to shake off the affects of that blast, but at what cost. He was almost certain there must be a reckoning coming soon. There was only so much even Shepard's body could take.

“The elevator's up ahead!” Liara yelled as they stepped out of the pod onto the shaking walkway.

It took minutes only to reach the controls. Garrus made it first and hit the button. He figured if it was going to stall on it's way back up, the commander should not feel it was her fault this time. _Or maybe I'll have better luck with it_. The thought came unbidden as he watched her limp toward him.

The second the elevator reached them and the guardrail drew back, Shepard stepped on. He followed along with Liara. The commander hit the button that would take them up to the doctor above. The turian eyed the distance and glanced behind them at the harvesters swooping through the skies. This could be bad and he knew it, but they had no real choice.

“Elevator's online. Comin' up.” Shepard said into her comm as the elevator started moving.

“Please hurry. I think Hopkins is dead.” Ann replied in a thick voice.

The second the elevator reached the top, Shepard was off and through the door of the upper most pod. Garrus wasted no time following her, his feet thudding heavily as he jogged into the scene. He stopped with a sharp intake of breath at the sight before them. A man lay on the floor covered in blood and a woman, clearly the doctor, sat beside him.

“He tried to run. I told him not to, but he wanted to help the others.” Ann said almost babbling. Her eyes cleared and locked to Shepard as she tilted her head. “Where did everyone go?”

“I'm sorry... they're not coming.” Shepard shook her head at the question. “We have to keep moving.”

Ann let out a frustrated sigh on the edge of a sob before rising to her feet. “Yes... I.. uh....of course.”

Garrus took that moment to move ahead and scout the immediate area. He glanced back at Shepard and indicated she should follow with a nod of his head in the direction ahead. The turian took point as they jogged for cover just outside the pod on another rocky ledge. They took cover quickly, the doctor squatting down beside Shepard. He was fairly certain she had not idea how to use the cover at hand as her head remained just above the rocky outcropping.

“I... uh... was at another dig site when they attacked. I got back as quick as I could but... what happening?” Ann asked almost sounding as if she was completely confused by the current situation.

“Shepard, look.” Garrus drew her attention to another series of 'cave paintings' above himself.

“We've seen these paintings all over the dig site. My guess is it has something to do with them.” Shepard nodded.

“This isn't a Reaper... it's leviathan, isn't it?” Garrus asked as he shuffled into cover beside his bondmate.

“Yeah... yes, we think so. It's old, much older than my father thought.” Ann confirmed as she pointed out the paintings of the people below the main image. “And there... it's as if the natives were under its power. Clearly a Reaper, but acting _alone_. Not like any Reaper we've seen before.”

“Doctor, I understand you found something recently.” Shepard shifted the focus from the painting to the artifact they knew the woman had found.

Garrus did not like the look that passed over the woman's face. He thought at first he must have imagined it and tried to shake it off. Her eyes narrowed as she locked them to some far off point and nodded. “The artifact. Yes, of course.... it's incredible. It's just ahead.”

At the woman's prompting, Garrus got to his feet and took point once more. He did not trust this doctor. Something felt off. Under normal circumstances he would have remained in his rear position, but something urged him onward. He felt a need to check out whatever lay ahead before allowing his bondmate to step into trouble. If that meant he took the full brunt of whatever it was, so be it.

Those were his thoughts as he jogged through the large opening into some sort of cavern. He listened carefully to what the doctor was saying as he scanned the area with both his eyes and his visor.

“It may sound strange, but I'm certain it affects people – their behavior. I've only had a short time to study it.” the doctor continued as if nothing at all was amiss.

“Not strange at all.” Shepard's voice had taken on a suspicious quality. “Did you find anything?”

“Not much, but I did learn something about the energy it generates.” Ann continued.

Garrus stopped and took cover the second he saw them. He glanced back and raised a fisted hand in signal for the team to stop. Pointing at his eyes, he then pointed toward the marauders surrounding the artifact.

“Get down!” Shepard hissed as she acknowledged the signal and moved forward in a crouch.

There were a pair of marauders messing around the artifact while another seemed caught it some sort of energy field the orb was beaming out toward him. To say it was unsettling would have been an understatement. Garrus cringed as he watched the display of obvious power.

“What are they doing?” Shepard whispered as she closed the distance between herself and the turian.

“They've activated it somehow. I've never managed anything – ” the doctor was saying before her face seemed to go slack and she stepped out into the open.

“Doctor?” Shepard questioned quietly.

“Crap...” Garrus breathed very softly.

“They've learned too well. The darkness must not be breached – ” the doctor murmured in a deadpan voice even as Shepard grabbed her arm and tried to haul her back out of sight.

“Shepard!” Liara gasped as they all heard the other woman's voice deepen and take on a secondary tone.

“Take it out!” Shepard ordered sharply as her eyes locked with those of her bondmate.

“Got it!” Garrus nodded and leveled his sniper rifle on the top of the rocky outcropping he sheltered behind. The barrel gritted against the surface of the rock as he fired into the orb. It took three shots to have the desired effect.

The orb exploded, throwing the marauders away in smoking heaps. The doctor dropped to her knees and shook her head as soon as the artifact was gone. Garrus pinned his mandibles to the sides of his face as he glanced back at her.

“You ok?” Shepard asked as she knelt beside her the woman. When the other did not respond, she touched the implant near her ear. “Cortez, we have Ann Bryson. We need a pick up.”

“On my way, Commander.” Cortez said over the comm.

“Copy that!” Shepard said as she stood with the doctor. “You see the shuttle, you run. Don't look back!”

“Ok...” Ann nodded, her voice seemed normal enough now that the sphere was gone.

Garrus was still not entirely sure he trusted the woman. He deferred to Shepard's judgment nonetheless. His bondmate was rarely wrong in these things. He glanced at her as she headed toward the edge looking down on where the artifact had been. She nodded her head toward it and he realized she meant to go down there and check it out. He nodded back and they dropped together.

Shepard landed in a deep crouch, practically on her hands and knees. Garrus landed a little better and stepped out of it easier. His legs, damaged though the right one was, were built for this kind of thing. They took cover the moment they had both gained some measure of ground beneath them. There were cannibals in the area. The turian assumed there were likely others here as well.

The cannibals were easy. Shepard threw a singularity at them and it pretty much did them in. the harvester flying in was another story. Biotics did not seem to affect those things. They were just too big for the energy fields to do much.

“We need to get rid of that harvester.” Garrus said as he leveled his rifle on the edge of the crate he knelt behind.

“We'll bring it down!” Shepard barked.

Nodding, he peered at it through his scope. He noticed his bondmate swapping her pistol for her own sniper rifle out of the corner of his eye. Again, he nodded, but this time in approval. “We scope it.... and drop it in maybe... five minutes...”

“Ready when you are.” Shepard said as she locked an eye to her own scope.

Garrus inhaled and took careful aim at the harvester's most vulnerable spot. He let the breath out slowly and squeezed the trigger. The action was repeated several times. Shepard followed his example. Between them, they unloaded a dozen rounds or so into before it finally toppled over.

“Scratch one!” Garrus hooted as the thing exploded.

“A big one.” Shepard huffed a laugh. The moment they were sure it was clear, the commander tapped the comm link near her ear. “Ok, Cortez. Get in here!”

“Copy that, Commander.” Cortez responded briskly.

“Alright, let's go!” Shepard barked the second the shuttle came into view.

Garrus and Liara laid down cover fire as Shepard and the doctor ran for the shuttle. The turian continued to cover them as he motioned for Liara to join them. There were cannibals rapidly approaching. The second he was sure the others were close to the shuttle, he backed up toward it. Glancing behind himself once, he all but threw himself at it. He felt hands grip his shoulder and haul him back away from the hatch just before it closed before him. Letting out a sigh of relief, he slung his still hot rifle onto his armored back.

With Shepard's help, he got to his feet and crossed to a seat to drop into it. He watched her turn to the doctor. Liara had taken a seat of her own.

“You ok?” Shepard asked the doctor as her eyes focused on the woman.

“I... think so. I must have blacked out for a minute there.” Ann answered.

“You didn't black out. Leviathan took control of you. We cut the connection before you got hurt.” Shepard explained.

“Leviathan itself? That's incredible!” the doctor sounded far too enthusiastic about that prospect.

“The Reapers seem as interested in it as we are. I'm still trying to sort out exactly why.” Shepard stated.

“Yeah... it certainly seems that way.” Ann said, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees.

“We were hoping you could help us figure out why.” Shepard said as she paced back toward her team.

Garrus watched her, but he kept a closer eye on Ann Bryson. He did not trust her. Leviathan had taken her once. Who was to say it could not do so again, even without the artifact? He did not like it one bit as he rested his own elbows on knees and watched the woman intently.

“But first... doctor...” Shepard began slowly as she glanced back at her team. “I have some bad news.”

“Please, call me Ann. Suppose leviathan has broke away from the other Reapers. Never went back to dark space? Like a rogue or even a defector.” the woman kept speculating and seemed to be ignoring the change in the commander's tone. “I have to call my father. He'll wanna know.”

“Ann... you need to listen to me, ok.” Shepard began again as she knelt before the woman. “Your father....”

“He's dead. Murdered by his leviathan controlled assistant.” Garrus blurted. Normally he would have done this as gently as Shepard was attempting, but there was something seriously wrong with the woman across the shuttle from him.

“He's... dead? He can't be dead.” the woman denied it outright.

Shepard's head snapped back toward him and she glared at him for a moment before returning her attention to Ann Bryson. “We met with him, hoping to find out what he knew. His assistant was fine one minute and the next.... he drew a gun on your father. I couldn't stop him.”

“I can't believe this.” the woman said quietly as Shepard stood and paced the length of the shuttle.

“We have to find out what's behind it all. You're the _only_ one who can help us.” Shepard turned to face the woman again.

Garrus watched the drama play out. He kicked himself for blurting out that news, but what was done was done. At least the woman knew. There was never an easy way to give someone news like that anyway.

“Ann?” the commander asked when the other woman did not respond.

“I... I wanna see his office.” the doctor said, turning to lock eyes with the commander.

“We'll arrange for transportation and meet you there.” Shepard said softly.


	39. Back to Bryson's Lab

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard isn't thrilled with the idea of heading back to that lab, but she knows the information Bryson had may be the key to finding leviathan.

Shepard wasted no time at all in exiting the shuttle the moment it touched down in the shuttle bay. She was still chewing on her bondmate's coldhearted manner of breaking that news. _True, Ann Bryson seems a little distracted, but still. Alright, she's an airhead, but that didn't justify the way he broke the news. We're all tired of this war. Bad news is everywhere. God, we need that shore leave.._.

Those were the thoughts that drove her to the battery in search of her turian hours later. Small though the Normandy was, he had managed to disappear among her decks. Making himself scarce in the face of the commander's wrath, she realized. What he did not know was that she could not stay mad at him for long. He had yet to do or say anything on a level that would truly invoke her fury. Even blurting out information about a death to a clearly shell-shocked individual was not enough to flip that switch. The woman might not have even noticed if she had broken the news the way she had intended.

Garrus was leaning on the main console, poking a button here and there when she stepped into the battery. She took note of the fact that he had not even bothered to remove his armor. It looked out of place now, after so many months of seeing him in civvies all over the ship.

“Got a minute?” she asked softly.

The deliberate invocation of past requests at his shoulder was clearly not lost on him. His head turned a fraction, eyes tracing the expression on her face. He snorted a faint laugh before nodding.

“She would have continued chattering and attempting to call her father...” Shepard sighed and rubbed a hand over her brow.

“Hmm... maybe.” Garrus hummed and glanced down at his hands before pushing himself away from the console. “I should have been more tactful.”

“Maybe...” Shepard nodded and dropped her hand to rest on the console's edge near his.

“Shepard, I... uh... admit I was _worried_ about you on that dig site. Things got pretty hectic. Not used to feeling like that, you know.” Garrus stammered after a minute as he put his much larger hand over hers. His eyes locked to hers then as his other hand cupped the side of her face. “That's what _love_ does. Turns a guy like _me_ into a _nervous wreck_ with something to _lose_ , and the _aim_ to make sure he doesn't.”

“There were a lot of bullets...” she admitted with a nod and a huff of released breath. That familiar surge of emotions nearly swamped her at the intensity in his voice and eyes.

“Nobody better hurt you, that's all I'm saying.” his voice dropped to a near growl as he brought his plated brow down to meet her smooth forehead.

“I love you, Garrus.” Shepard whispered, knowing full well he would hear every nuance in her voice.

The hum of his sub-harmonics nearly doubled for a few seconds and she swore she heard the undertones of words within them. ~ _Enough.... to forgive a little.... awkwardness?_ ~ he seemed to hum quietly.

“Always...” she answered without thinking and tiptoed up to press a kiss against his mouth plates. “Awkward or not, you're _mine_... and I'm _yours_.”

The turian's breath caught at her words, clearly startled that she had understood the words of his sub-harmonic speech. It seemed to startle him every time. That ability was like the tides, it ebbed and flowed as it willed. Today seemed a good day or at least these last few minutes. In another minute, his sub-harmonics might becoming nothing more than a humming buzz to her again. She took it as it came, delighting in the rare moments of insight it offered her.

“Approaching the Citadel, Commander.” came Joker's voice over the ship's comm.

“We're heading back to that lab, aren't we?” Garrus asked after a minute as he turned back to the console and tapped a couple of keys.

“I don't see a choice. We need whatever information Ann can find in her father's files.” Shepard nodded.

“You... uh... you sure she's not indoctrinate?” Garrus asked as he stepped away from the console, headed for the door.

“It certainly seemed that way at the dig site.” she admitted as she followed him out the door.

“Then whatever she gives us... may not be... reliable.” the turian rumbled as they made their way down the ramp and into the mess hall.

Shepard looked toward the feminine sounding turian hum near the table on the other side of the bulkhead. As they rounded the bulkhead, Lilfrey and James came into view. The female was shorter than most turians, closer to the commander's height. Her hands were braced on the meat mountain's shoulders as she pressed her plated forehead to his. She let out a purring laugh as Vega scooped her up into his arms and performed an almost perfect about-face. His eyes locked on the commander's for a moment and, with a nod, he practically strutted down the hall toward the crew quarters.

Holding up a finger and blinking, Shepard glanced up at her turian in mild shock and confusion. “Was that.... Lilfrey?”

“Mhm...” Garrus nodded as they stood there a moment.

“I thought you said they 'might be blowing off steam'.” Shepard stressed the words as she repeated his comment of several nights before. “That looked a little....”

“Cozy? Hmm... seems Lil may have developed a... _human fetish_.” Garrus chuckled darkly as he took her hand and led her around to the elevator.

Shepard frowned and leaned against the wall to gaze at him as they entered the elevator. “How would that even work? I mean... I've seen a few vids.”

“Same as my plates. With enough... attention... they can be coaxed open.” Garrus suggested.

“Yeah, but...” Shepard could not wrap her head around how a human male would get away with not losing his prized parts to those plates once they snapped closed.

“You saw _vids_.” Garrus stressed with a wide flaring of his mandibles. “Those are designed to... um... present things in a.... uh... less than _accurate_ light.”

“You mean she isn't gonna chop off his dick the second she's done?” the commander let out a soft snicker as she blurted the question.

“She may hurt him, but he's not going to lose any parts if her plates close around him.” Garrus visibly cringed as he explained that.

“Speaking from experience, Vakarian?” Shepard asked coyly.

“Let's... uh... not go there.” Garrus cringed even more.

“Well, it's still good to know. I wouldn't want to be forced to bench him for... 'medical reasons'.” Shepard huffed a laugh as the elevator doors opened on the shuttle bay.

“Uh... yeah.... that's not likely.” Garrus purred and opened his locker.

“EDI, meet us at the shuttle. We're heading to Bryson's lab.” Shepard called through the comm.

“Yes, Shepard.” the AI answered.

As an afterthought, Shepard stepped over to her own, just two doors down from the turian's. She opened it and pulled out her pistol. He was right, Ann Bryson did not seem quite right. The commander intended to be prepared for anything. She nodded at him the second she saw him tuck his combat knife into the holster on his right shin. He was deadly with that thing. She had seen him in action often enough that she did not question his choice of weapons. He could easily pass through the weapons checkpoints with it as well.

The moment EDI stepped off the elevator, they headed into the shuttle. Since shuttles were not required to use the docking bay, they could easily be dropped off outside C-Sec. From there, they could catch a ride to the lab via the rapid transit console just outside. Since the coupe, shuttles were not permitted in certain areas, with good reason.

The trip was shorter than expected by both shuttle and car. Bryson's lab was just as they had left it a few days ago. The difference was the sound. There was someone murmuring to themselves. Shepard noticed it the second they stepped through the door.

“Hello? Ann, are you here?” Shepard called in question.

The murmuring continued. A sob and a sniffle could be heard a moment later and Shepard glanced toward the stairs. Something told her the woman was upstairs. She headed that way.

Garrus followed her and stopped at the top of the stairs indicating the direction the sound was coming from with a nod. Clearly he meant to wait there. The commander nodded and headed around the smokey glass walls to the small bedroom tucked over the R&D section of the lab.

“Ann?” she said softly the moment the woman sitting on the floor before the bed came into view.

“Oh... Commander. Yes. I'm sorry. Just... this is hard.” Ann did not look up as she sniffled against her grief.

“Of course... Are you alright?” Shepard's tone remained soft even as she continued to stand respectfully just outside the 'room'.

“Yes. No... I don't know.” Ann sniffled and glanced up for a moment before continuing. “My father and I didn't leave things in great state.”

“An argument?” Shepard asked, still trying to be gentle with the woman's feelings. Clearly the shock had worn off and grief had caught up with her.

“Yes...” Ann nodded, tears streaking her face as she glanced up. “It was... trivial. A disagreement on how to file some of the specimens. I was mad about something else.... I don't remember what and... I took it out on him. So... stupid!”

The weight of the other woman's grief was palpable. Shepard felt it beginning to weigh down her own shoulders. She realized this was not the time to be asking questions about Bryson's research or notes.

“I don't want to intrude. I can come back...” the commander stated and started to turn away.

“No, please!” Ann's voice sounded desperate as she got to her feet and came toward the commander. “I'm ok..... Seeing all this again.... he was _so_ obsessed. Crazy sometimes.”

Shepard nodded in understanding as she looked back at the doctor. “I didn't get a chance to know him.”

Ann groaned slightly and sat down on the edge of the bed. “Sometimes I felt the same way... He was a great man.... a pioneer. But.... he could be distant. I felt like an inconvenience growing up.”

“You sound angry.” Shepard could not help notice the change in Ann's tone. There was no doubt the other woman was angry.

“I was angry. Still am, I guess.” Ann said and got up, walking toward the only dresser in the small room to look at a photo sitting on it. “But sometimes... he was so full of stories... he nearly burst. I loved that about him. It's why I signed up for this work. I... can't believe he's... gone.”

“We'll figure this out.” Shepard said determinedly.

Ann nodded and turned to lock eyes with her. “We have to. I need to know what's on the other end of that artifact... what he died for.”

“I won't intrude if you need to be alone, but... we need you're help.” Shepard stated and noticed her bondmate had stepped into the edge of the room.

“Your father's research... whatever he uncovered about leviathan....” Garrus said softly from his position near the railing. “It might just be out last chance at winning this war.”

Ann's chocolate gaze swept over the turian for a few seconds. Shepard could practically see the gears turning in the doctor's heard. Several heartbeats later, the woman nodded. “You're right. Let me dig into my father's work to see what I can find.”

The moment the woman started across the room and drew up level with the turian, she glanced up at him. He looked down at her curiously before asking. “You sure you're up for this?”

“Yes.” she said determinedly. The woman blinked and continued, glancing back at the commander briefly. “When leviathan took control of me. I remember being somewhere cold and dark. But my father... taught me to _never_ be afraid of the dark.”


	40. Speculative Theory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus is still suspicious of the doctor, but he's willing to 'play along' until they've established what sort of control leviathan has over it's 'host'.

Garrus watched Bryson walk past him and head down the stairs determinedly. He wondered, for just a moment, if he had been wrong about her oddness. His brow-plates drew downward as he narrowed his eyes at the woman's retreating back. _No, I know what I saw, what I heard at the dig site. She was being controlled.... but.... was it really indoctrination?_ That he did not know and it worried him so much more than he cared to admit, even to himself.

“You still don't trust her.” it was a statement he realized as Shepard stopped before him.

Pulling his eyes off the retreating doctor, he glanced down at his bondmate. “Hmmm... is it that obvious?”

“Oh yeah.” Shepard nodded as she watched the woman disappear down the stairs. “Clear as ink on you plates.”

“It's not her I'm worried about.” he admitted as they headed down the glass encased hallway together. “It's leviathan.... It took control of her once. What's to stop it from trying again?”

“The shield around the artifact here in the lab.” Shepard suggested.

“Only so long as the shield remains intact. But... what happens if that shield fails? Or if someone takes it down?” he knew he was reaching, but he could not help himself. It worried him. He had already had a taste of leviathan's brand of control. It was not something he wanted a repeat performance of.

Shepard seemed to catch on then and her expression shifted from suspicion to concern. “We're not letting it take control of anyone else.”

“Shepard, my analysis is complete. This is a piece of Sovereign.” EDI stated as they reached the base of the stairs.

“I'm still surprised your father got his hands on a piece of a Reaper.” Shepard said to Ann as the woman glanced up at her.

“He was so excited. Your claims validated _years_ of work.” she stated almost flatly.

It was that tone that concerned Garrus. He had seen a good many people of every race deal with grief, and though this was not uncommon, it was certainly not normal. Somehow, he thought Ann might still be under leviathan's influence.

“Did you take appropriate steps to prevent indoctrination?” EDI asked. It was the very question racing through the turian's mind.

“Of course. It was completely shielded and we all had regular psych evals.” Ann stated a little too quickly, her tone switching to sarcasm as she began to move away from the Reaper leg. “But now... thanks to the artifact... I'm indoctrinated anyway... aren't I? Might as well be a rachni drone waiting for orders from the queen.”

“Shepard...” Garrus whispered near her shoulder, drawing the word out in a faint warning.

“I know.” Shepard said with a quiet sigh. She followed the woman across the room then. “You studied the rachni?”

Garrus understood the strategy quite well. He had employed it a number of times during his days with C-Sec. Keeping the subject's mind engaged was key to determining guilt, or in this case, indoctrination. Frustration would trip them up, forcing them to reveal incriminating evidence they might be hiding. _Just as a_ _ **lack**_ _of knowledge will... if she's still being controlled_. That thought came to him unbidden as the miners on the asteroid came to mind. Most of them, while under control, had very little knowledge of their actual fields of study.

“I wrote my dissertation on them. My father thought it was a waste of time, but now... it might actually help us understand leviathan.” Ann explained as she accessed the console before her and began pulling data up on the huge screen.

“In... what way?” Garrus asked thoughtfully. He did not see the connection.

“Well... we think of the rachni as _telepathic_ , but there's really no such thing. At _short_ range, the queen uses pheromones to give orders.” Ann said before moving off toward another console. She looked over her shoulder and continued, clearly expecting them to follow her. “At long range, she uses an organic kind of quantum entanglement communicator. Whatever leviathan does must be similar, entangling particles to stimulate neural activity. It uses the artifact to establish a connection, and then it controls the mind of anyone near it.”

“So.... how is that _not_ like.... telepathy?” Garrus asked. He understood the principles behind how the the QEC worked. The thought that kept circling around in his head was that her explanation still amounted to some form of telepathy, rather organic or not.

“I'm with Garrus on this one. It sounds too much like telepathy.” Shepard stated as they followed the doctor into the room with the severed husk head.

“So... if it quacks like a duck and walks like a duck, it must be a duck?” the doctor asked and shook her head with a faint smile. “You sound like my father.”

“What's a duck?” Garrus asked quietly, an inquisitive tone to his voice.

“I'll show you a vid later.” Shepard huffed a quiet laugh.

“Hey, Commander. Need a hand?” James asked from near the display case on the other side of the head.

“Wait... why are you here, Vega?” the commander asked, eyes narrowing quickly at the man's presence.

“Lilly thought it was a good idea. She can be... brutal with her opinions. So... I hitched a ride with Bailey since, you know, he was headed this way.” Vega shrugged.

“Uh-huh...” Shepard did not sound convinced.

“Lilfrey know you're calling her 'Lilly'?” Garrus nearly purred in amusement. He could not help picturing the turian female tearing Vega's head off for that little nickname.

“Oh yeah... and she likes it. Showed her what a Lilly looks.” Vega chuckled. “She says you're closin' in on the Reaper killers. Anything that can scare those bastards has to be worth a look, no?”

“That's what I'm hopin'.” Shepard nodded as she glanced at the disturbing head.

Vega turned toward the head and wagged a finger at it. It hissed and snapped at the finger. “You see this thing? This is great!”

Garrus ran a talon over the edges of his mandibles in an effort to control the smile that was drawing them away from his face. Creepy as that thing was, he found this funny. More so when Vega yelped at the nip it gave him the second time he wagged that finger in its face.

“Hey, EDI. Husk bites... they don't turn you into a husk or anything, right?” Vega asked as he leaned on the counter before the thing.

“I recommend you apply medi-gel.” was all the AI said to him.

Garrus could not contain the chuckle that slipped from his throat at that. This was priceless. He closed his eyes, shaking his head as the meat mountain did as he was told.

“Hey, if nobody claims this thing, we can take it with us, you know... for research or... I dunno... whatever.” Vega seemed a little too enthusiastic about that idea.

“I... uh...” Shepard began and huffed a disgusted laugh. “That thing is awful, James.”

“I... don't think... that would be enough to scare.... your... um... your girlfriend, Jimmy.” Garrus chuckled at the idea of the man presenting that to the turian woman.

“Awe come on, Lola. You know you wanna see the look on her face.” Vega laughed.

“Alright. Just don't tell anybody.” Shepard relented.

“Niiiice....” Vega laughed and tossed his jacket over the head before wrestling the thing off the counter. He disappeared out the door toward the car with it.

“Did that... _really_... just happen?” Garrus asked, staring at his bondmate in shock now.

“Yeah... I think it did.” Shepard sighed with a nod.

“Hey, you think Esteban will let me set up bowling pins in the cargo bay?” Vega called from the car.

“Oh god... you're not using that _thing_ as a bowling ball!” Shepard growled at the man.

“Well damn... there goes all the fun right out the airlock.” Vega grumbled, but there was a laugh just under his words.

“It's your mess, Vega.” Shepard sighed and turned her attention back to the doctor who was completely ignoring them.

“The Reapers were able to trace leviathan through the artifact even without the detection of any energy emissions.” EDI stated as she scanned the object in question with her omni-tool.

“The artifact seems to act as some sort of receiver most of the time.” Ann said with a nod as she approached the artifact. “We'll only be able to trace leviathan through it when it actively takes control of someone.”

“Like it did... on the asteroid.” Garrus said, his mirth at Vega's antics dying quickly at the thought.

“Right.” Ann looked to him and nodded before walking toward the artifact glittering behind its protective shield. “Unless it needs something, leviathan doesn't bother communicating. I guess it and my father had something in common.”

“So... if leviathan's control is some sort of neural QEC... it's untraceable. Still sounds an awful lot like telepathy to me...” Garrus rumbled, his last words were barely more than a sub-harmonic growl with very little actual vocalization. “... felt like it too.”

“It took you too, didn't it?” Ann's eyes found his the moment her head snapped toward him.

“Hmm... for a couple of minutes.” the turian finally nodded. It was not something he cared to admit, that loss of control. He prided himself on his personal brand of discipline and control.

“This... isn't a natural QEC.” the doctor's attention slid from him back to the artifact barely a heartbeat later. “Leviathan has to send a pulse _through_ the artifact to alter your mind and create the quasi-QEC effect.”

“And that _can_ be traced.” EDI confirmed.

“Right. Just like at the dig site. The Reapers were tracing the signal by activating the artifact.” Ann confirmed. “My father wanted to be at that dig site.... He was getting too old for long digs, but he _hated_ being stuck in the lab. He nearly missed my graduation because he was on a dig. Showed up covered in dirt, still wearing his field gear. God.... he'd have _hated_ dying here.”

Garrus still was not entirely convinced that what he had felt at the mines was not some form of telepathy. Current science might say it did not exist, that it was an impossibility, but it had said that about a great many things. FTL was once thought to be impossible. Kinetic barriers, biotics... the list went on and on. And yet, here they stood with tech and abilities far beyond anything each culture in the galaxy had thought possible only a few centuries ago.

 _So what if we're wrong about telepathy? What if the leviathan really are a telepathic race with a wider influence than we think? Maybe... they're just using these orbs to amplify it like we use implants and amps to stabilize biotic powers. They could cripple the Council if the shield drops around this thing._ The turian was chewing on the implications of whatever power the leviathan was using as he stepped toward the dark spear behind the layers of glass and shielding. He did not like where his thoughts were leading him, but the detective in him could not cease and desist.


	41. Connecting with Leviathan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard isn't thrilled with Ann Bryson for forcing her hand with the connection to leviathan.

Shepard watched Garrus stopped before that flickering sphere with something bordering on trepidation. She had seen what one of those had done, what it might cost her, back on that asteroid. That turian standing there studying the artifact was her everything. She meant it in the most fundamental way possible when she told him there was no Shepard without Vakarian. If she lost him now, there was no way she would ever be able to put the pieces of her soul back together. He was the key to her stability and she knew it.

Looking back to the doctor who was standing before the galaxy map, she stepped over toward her. There was still a good deal of information she hoped to get from the woman. Broaching the subject as gently as she could, Shepard realized she simply had to push ahead.

“Ann, I know this is hard, but if there's anything more you can tell us...” the commander said softly, prompting the woman carefully.

Ann did not look at her. She simply pushed herself off the railing around the map and shook her head. “I... really don't think there's anything else to _tell_... But... maybe... I can _show_ you.”

Shepard frowned at that, her mind spinning out various possibilities. None of those ideas were good. Cautiously, she asked, “What are you saying?”

“The artifact only sends out a signal when leviathan's controlling someone.” the woman breathed. She almost seemed... excited at the idea. “So.... let it control me. You could trace the signal.”

“You mean let it take control of your mind?” Shepard asked in shock. She could not believe she was hearing this.

“Too risky. Who knows what it could do to you... or _who_.... it might actually decide to take.” Garrus spoke up as he stepped away from the artifact and headed toward them.

“He's right. It's too dangerous.” Shepard agreed with the voice obvious voice of reason here.

“It's _my_ call, not yours!” Ann's attitude changed in an instant. She became angry, irate as she snapped at the commander and waved an arm to point in the general direction of the orb. “You said I'm your last chance to find this thing! _Let me do this!_ ”

“We have _no_ idea what will happen. What _could_ happen...” Shepard began.

“What _will_ happen.” Garrus stated as he gave the doctor a hard look. He continued with a nod. “It could take you.... or _me_. It could take us _both_. I don't know about _you_ , but I'd.... rather not experience _that_ again.”

“ _If we wait_... the Reapers will get to leviathan first.” Ann was clearly passionate about her decision. She walked toward the orb then and stopped before it, turning to look at them both. “I've spent more time with this thing than I did with my father the last few years. If it's going to take anyone... it'll be me.”

“I don't like this.” Shepard said quietly.

“ _I don't care_... I want the monster that murdered my father! You want something to help fight the Reapers.” Ann reasoned, her voice rising to an impassioned level. “This is the best shot either of us has got and you _know_ it.”

“We still don't know what we're looking for.” Shepard tried to reason with the woman, but the look in the other's eyes told her the doctor was beyond reasoning.

“Then let's find out.” Ann said coldly and reached over, hitting the button that deactivated the shielding around the orb.

“Uh... crap....,” Garrus all but groaned as he gripped the railing around the galaxy map. “This is... uh... this is so... _damned_... insane. Oh yeah, that's the word for it... _insane_.”

Shepard watched him for a moment before turning toward the synthetic woman tapping at the buttons before the map itself. “EDI?”

“Energy signal locked in. Waiting for activation.” EDI stated.

“I still don't think this is a good idea.” Shepard stated as she crossed the room to the woman who had taken a seat on the bench before the glass case.

“Again... not your choice. I have to do this.” Ann stated firmly.

“I'm gonna be right here.” James said softly to the woman as he stepped in behind her right shoulder.

“Ok. I'm ready.” Ann nodded, her voice soft as she glanced up at Vega.

“And... I'll be _here_... just in case.” the turian stated as he stepped over the railing beside the commander, putting an obstacle between himself and the rest of them.

Shepard suppressed the cringe at that action. She knew far too well what must be going through his mind. He was attempting to protect her... from himself. They both knew leviathan could slip into his mind again all too easily. It had already happened once.

“Artifact is online.” EDI confirmed after another few seconds as the orb flickered and began to glow.

“Anything?” Shepard asked after a few more seconds.

“Nothing yet...” Ann answered with a faint sigh.

Shepard glanced at the turian. He shook his head and leaned on the railing between them. At that, she silently thanked whatever deity might be watching over him.

“Wait.... There's something...” Ann let out a shuddering breath and glanced up at the commander. “I feel a chill...”

“No trace yet.” EDI said quietly from her position at the map.

Ann let out a low moan and began to shake violently in her seat. Vega clamped his hands on her shoulders in an effort to prevent her from falling to the floor. It became a struggle to hold onto her and the man was practically straining.

“Holy hell..!” he barked, clearly trying not to hurt the woman.

“Signal is tracking.” EDI stated and punched a couple more buttons. “Maintain connection.”

“Turn back. The darkness can't be breached.” Ann said raggedly as she struggled in Vega's grip.

“Damn!” Vega snapped as the woman nearly broke free of his grip.

“Maintain connection.” EDI insisted as her hands flew over the keys.

“ _Dammit!_ I dunno how much longer she can handle this!” Shepard barked before squatting down before the woman. “Listen to me! I found you! And the Reapers are right behind me.”

“You have brought them.” Ann gasped and looked back up at her. The woman's voice changed with her next words. It became that deep vibrating voice from the asteroid. “You are a threat!”

“Crap...” Garrus breathed from his position behind the railing.

Shepard glanced back at him and her eyes grew wider before she turned back to the 'possessed' doctor. She tried to put the sight of the turian wiping at his bleeding nose out of her mind for just a few seconds.

“So are you.” Shepard said coldly. “I've seen what you can do. The war _needs_ you.”

“There is no war. There is only the harvest.” leviathan said through Ann.

“EDI, do we have enough?” Shepard turned to the synthetic woman before glancing back at Garrus.

“Partial lock. Maintain connection to narrow the search.” the mech said quickly, her hands still dancing over the keys.

“You heard her! We've got enough. I'm hitting the shield.” James barked as he continued to hold Ann in her seat.

Shepard glanced back at Garrus once more. He was leaning heavily on the railing, head resting in his hands. A single drop of cobalt dripped from his nose and she turned back toward James. “Do it!”

“Man...” Vega released the woman the moment she stopped struggling. He squatted down beside her quickly. “You alright?”

“Yes... I think so.” the doctor answered, putting a hand to her head.

“Please... tell me... we got something...” Garrus groaned as he rested his elbows on the railing.

“Yes. But it _will_ take some time to search. Coordinates sent to the Normandy.” EDI confirmed.

“Good. It's a start.” Shepard nodded as she headed toward her bondmate.

“Commander... I.. I sensed something else.” Ann stated as she made her way across to them. “Anger.”

“It knows we're getting close.” Shepard nodded even as she put a hand to the side of the turian's face.

“I think it wants to kill you.” Ann said, her tone emotionless.

“I'm sure it does.” Shepard stated as she encouraged Garrus to stand and look at her.

“The Collectors did that once.... All it did was piss her off.” Garrus rumbled softly. “I can't imagine leviathan having any better luck.”

“You ok, lover?” Shepard asked, her eyes locked to his. She was fairly certain the nose bleeds around that voice were coming from the impact the vibration within his resonance chamber. It was more than turian biology could handle.

“Hmm...” he rumbled with a nod as he pushed himself up and wiped his nose once more. “That... _thing_... has some _crazy_ sub-harmonic frequencies.”

“We should go. We've got a general location.” Shepard said quietly before turning back toward Ann. “I'll send word to the nearest clinic to come pick you up. You shouldn't be here.... alone.”

“I've... already sent a message to Doctor Michel. She's on her here now.” Ann nodded.

“Small galaxy...” Garrus grumbled softly.


	42. Unexpected Encounters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus is feeling a little overwhelmed by the constant highs and lows of this particular outing to the Citadel. Dr. Michel just adds to his discomfort when she appears to collect Ann Bryson.

Garrus swayed slightly before stepping over that railing again and following Shepard out of the lab. He glanced back at Ann and the artifact just once. _I hate that thing. At least it's not indoctrination. I'm still me.... even if I do have the mother of all headaches.... Damn_.

The turian thought they might get lucky and make it to the car before Dr. Michel arrived to collect Ann. Of course, that just felt too optimistic to him. He knew, deep down in his thulium laced bones, that something was about to happen. It was like some other worldly sense that gripped him and he thought it might actually have something to do with the artifact in the lab.

They made it to Sovereign's leg before Dr. Michel made her inevitable appearance. She started to rush past them toward Ann when her eyes locked onto Garrus' face. The red-head stopped then, eyes wide as she took note of the streak of cobalt that was smeared across his upper mouth plates beneath his nose.

 _Ugh, crap... here it comes_. The thought had barely managed to take shape when the woman suddenly b-lined for him. Her hands were on him, one on his left mandible and the other on his chin in seconds. She tilted his head this way and that as she looked him over.

“You're bleeding, Garrus. What happened?” the woman practically gasped.

He took her hands and gently removed them from his face in discomfort. “I'm _fine_...”

“If you were fine, you wouldn't be bleeding. Now, _tell_ me, what happened?” the woman insisted.

It was then that he caught the murderous look in his bondmate's eyes. Her face was quickly contorting into a frown that was so much more than irritated. The flicker of red in her pupils was more than enough to cause him to take a step back from the doctor. Unfortunate, the woman followed him. He could only assume she thought he had stumbled.

“Come. I'll take you and Ann both to the clinic. You should lie down for awhile. You're pupils are dilated.” the doctor paused for a moment as she glanced toward Ann. Her attention returned to him a half heartbeat later. “Is this drug induced. Tell me you people aren't toying with red sand...”

“There's no red sand here, _doctor_. My _bondmate_ and I were just about to return to the Normandy. Dr. Chakwas will take a look at him.” Shepard said coldly. Clearly she had finally reached her breaking point and needed to make herself known.

“Oh no, that just won't do. Garrus needs immediate medical attention.... as does Ann. If I had known I was going to have _two_ patients instead of one, I'd have brought my assistant.” Dr. Michel insisted. “He could have seen to Ann while I focus on whatever is ailing Garrus.”

“Look... we don't have a lot of time here, doctor. So... kindly take your _hands_... _off_ my _bondmate_... and allow us to do our duty.” Shepard's voice dropped from cold to positively glacial in less than a breath.

“Shepard...” Garrus rumbled softly. He saw the beginnings of a fissure opening near her ear as her anger grew. She was about to do something he knew she was going to regret. He hoped his voice was enough to distract her from that course of action.

“Not this time, Vakarian.” Shepard shook her head slightly at him as her focus returned to Dr. Michel. “The _crates_ of chocolate, Doctor. Why send them?”

“Well, I... I thought it was obvious. He saved my life. I wanted to repay him.” the woman answered nervously.

“Alright, I get that, but he's made it clear a few times that one gift was enough. Why continue?” Shepard pushed the point.

Garrus followed Shepard's glance toward Ann. The woman wobbled over to them and sat down in one of the office chairs beneath the Loch Ness monster's frame. She seemed amused. _Glad someone thinks this is funny_.

“Consider the debt paid, Doctor.” Garrus rumbled softly and started to move around her.

“Only if you agree to have dinner with me.” she said quietly, her eyes locked to his once more. It was clear she meant it for his ears only.

“Excuse me?” Shepard growled harshly.

“I... _don't_ think that's a good idea.” Garrus was still trying desperately to politely diffuse this situation, but it did not seem to be working so well.

When her hand slipped from the confinement of his and onto his armored hip crest, he knew there was going to be trouble. His eyes snapped to Shepard's face in that instant even as he tried once more to back away from the woman. He had not realized she had taken hold of his wrist as well. Nor had he realized, until that moment, that she was a good seven or eight inches taller than his bondmate.

“I thought we could get to _know_ each other better. Maybe see where this could go...” Dr. Michel seemed desperate to garner his attention.

“You... uh... _do_ realize... I'm _bonded_.” Garrus said in a chilly tone.

“That never stopped Councilor Sparatus.” she said coyly.

“I think you wanna take your hand off his hip... _now_.” Shepard growled and the turian's eyes flicked toward her once more.

“I'd listen to Commander Shepard, if I were you, lady.” James said as he came out of the bathroom quickly zipping his pants and sizing up the situation.

“Oh, I'm sorry... this _isn't_ Commander Shepard. I really don't know who this woman _actually_ is, but the resemblance is uncanny.” Dr. Michel flipped a hand at the commander in a dismissive manner. “ _Commander Shepard_ has been sitting in the C-Sec executor's office all day.”

“You're insane.” Shepard growled, her biotics enveloping her in a blink.

“So... if you bonded with _this_ woman and she signed off as Shepard... Well, my dear Garrus, she _duped_ you _and_ falsified documents.” Dr. Michel leaned in and breathed a seductive laugh at him. “ _Besides_ , turian/human bonding isn't... _legal_ yet. There are laws within the Alliance that prevent it until full reclamation has been paid by the Hierarchy for the First Contact War.”

“I think I've had _enough_ of this.” Shepard snapped and Dr. Michel was suddenly encased in a formfitting bubble of energy. “Now... care to explain how I'm supposed to be in the C-Sec executor's office today... when I'm standing right here?”

“Well.... this is certainly impressive.” Dr. Michel said simply as she tried to wiggle free of the biotic restraints.

“Shepard... let's uh.... let's just... go back to the Normandy.” Garrus stammered as he stepped around the restrained woman to his bondmate.

“Not until I have an answer, Garrus. If there's someone on the Citadel impersonating me... that's serious.” her eyes locked to his and he noticed the red haze within them had faded. “What if they crack my Spectre codes?”

“Alright. You have a point, but... how does restraining the doctor help?” Garrus asked as he waved a hand at the woman standing there in the restrictive biotic field.

“She's a little too _hands-on_ for my taste.” Shepard stated flatly.

“Hmm...” Garrus nodded and glanced back at the woman who's eyes had grown wide and round the longer she remained confined. “You gotta let her go, Shepard. She needs to take care of Dr. Bryson... and... we have a Reaper-killer to hunt down.”

“In a minute. I'm getting at least one answer out of her first.” Shepard said as she stepped past him and right up to the woman she held with her biotics. “What is it you _really_ want from Garrus?”

“Isn't it obvious?” the woman breathed with a faint laugh. “I wanna rock his galaxy.”

“Wrong answer!” Shepard snapped.

Before Garrus could stop her, she punched the woman, releasing her biotic hold on her just as her fist connected with the doctor's jaw. The woman hit the floor with a grunt and a splatter of red blood from her lip. Shepard stood over her more pissed off than he thought he had ever seen her.

The commander pointed at the woman lying on the floor, the look on her face viciously angry with the glow of red in her eyes to amplify it once more. “ _Stay..._ _ **away**_ _... from my husband!_ ”

Garrus stared at her for a moment in open shock. She had always called him her 'bondmate', never her 'husband'. It was a human term and he understood its meaning quite well. Referring to him as such told him exactly how she felt about their bonding. It sent a thrill surging through his chest and carapace regardless of the circumstances.

“Damn, Lola. Did you have to split her lip like that?” James chuckled as they headed toward the car. “I thought you were gonna, you know, ask her about the other... well... _you_.”

“We've got a job to do. An impostor is the least of our worries. Bailey can sort that out... if she's really sitting in his office. I'll send him a message.” Shepard grumbled as she climbed into the car.

Garrus took the seat to her right and wrapped his arms around his rolling stomach in a casual way. He did not want Shepard to realized just how much pain he was in. He thought his head might just explode if they did not get away from this lab soon. At least putting some distance between them and the orb seemed to lessen the pain between his eyes. Somehow, he thought that thing was still active even through the shielding. That was not a pleasant thought, to be sure.

Garrus frowned when the car landed at the docking bay instead of C-Sec. The thought occurred to him, after a moment, that Joker must have docked while they were away. He did not hesitate to get out when Shepard did. Somewhere along the way, he must have missed the message regarding the change in pick up points.

The turian's thoughts felt muddy, like his head was stuffed full of cotton as he followed the commander toward bay D24. He stopped with her when they saw Nana carrying Lydera on her hip. He had not expected the asari to disembark on the Citadel, but he supposed he should have.

Shepard put one hand on her hip and shifted her stance so that her weight was more on one foot than the other. “What's going on here, Nana?”

“Well... we're staying on the Citadel, dear. Safest place in the galaxy at the moment, right? Certainly better than traipsing all over the galaxy on a _warship_. At least for the little one.” Nana stated with a smile as she caressed the drooling baby's cheek.

“You're sure you can handle this alone, Nana?” Shepard asked cautiously.

“Oh, I won't be alone, Shepard dear.” Nana said cheerfully and right on queue a pair of turians stepped out of the airlock behind her.

“Oh, good. You're here, son.” Castis greeted Garrus casually. He glanced toward Solana almost nervously for a moment. “We're going to remain on the Citadel... at least for a time.”

“We're staying with Nana. She'll need the help with this precious little jewel.” Solana said as she waggled a finger in front of the baby, who promptly grabbed it.

“I hear you'll be putting in for maintenance and shore leave soon. We'll stay with Tear until your return.” Castis stated, all the authority of his former position with C-Sec flowing easily into his voice.

Garrus tried to think of something to say, anything... and came up short. This was his father's choice, after all. He frowned slightly at the familiarity between his father and the asari. Shepard must have noticed because she put a hand on his armored shoulder.

“He's a big boy, Garrus. He can take care of himself.” she said softly. Her words earned a chuckle from the elder Vakarian.

“I doubt you want your dad and sister both piling into your tiny apartment, Garrus. I can't imagine it's in a... well kept state... with you on the Normandy anyway.” his dad said, the chuckle lingering in his words and sub-harmonics. “But... if you'd _prefer_...”

“Uh.. no. You're right. My place is... well... it's a disaster. I.. uh... had a krogan house guest for a few days before I left for Omega.” Garrus stammered quickly.

“ _Really?_ You let a _krogan_ stay with you?” Solana's eyes were ready to pop out of her head at that idea. Her sub-harmonics trilled in sheer excitement. “Wait... was it the one who was on the first Normandy with you...? What was his name?”

“Wrex...” Garrus supplied blandly at his sister's drawn out question.

“That's him! So he trashed your apartment?” Solana laughed.

“Hmm... yeah.” Garrus grumbled and rubbed a hand over the back of his neck.

“Sol... leave your brother be.” Castis admonished.

“Oh, but, Dad.....” she nearly whined.

“I think we should leave the boy alone. We have things to do... and so does Shepard.” Nana broke in softly as she hefted the baby up on her hip. “Isn't that right, dear? Places to go, I think. _Monsters_ to chase?”

“Right. I should go.” Shepard nodded and glanced back at Garrus and the meat mountain behind him.

Garrus met his father's eyes briefly before passing the man to enter the airlock. Castis nodded and stepped away with Nana and Sol to disappear into the crowd of people coming and going through the Citadel docks. His eyes lingered a moment longer before he turned and followed the commander back aboard the Normandy. He wondered at his father's reasons for leaving the Normandy now.

There were a few things the turian had set into motion for their coming shore leave, _if_ they got one. He had not expected his father and sister to be roped into some of those plans. He supposed he should have guessed that Nana or Liara might make sure they were involved though. At least it seemed that must be what this was all about. It was too sudden for anything else. He wondered if Liara had gotten word to Anderson yet as he walked through the CIC.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ask and you shall receive. You asked for some added drama. I thought I'd toss a taste of what's to come in here. Dr. Michel may not truly _be_ as innocent as she appears...


	43. Despoina

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The shuttle ride to the surface of the watery world of Despoina does not go as smoothly as everyone had hoped it would.

Shepard split off and stepped up to the galaxy map railing, a focused look on her face as she began plotting their search for leviathan. She glanced at Garrus as he touched her arm before stepping toward the elevator. A faint smile tugged the corners of her mouth up at him as she covered his hand with her own.

“I'm heading down to the battery. Bound to need some calibrations before we find this thing.” he stated quietly and glanced toward the crew scattered around the CIC with an intake of breath.

“We'll find leviathan soon.” Shepard said with a nod and a faint sigh as she followed his gaze around the 'room'. “Maybe it'll turn the tides of this war.”

“If... you can convince it.... to fight with us....” he grumbled in a low voice.

“And not against us... Right. That could take some doing.” Shepard nodded and turned back toward the map. “I'll be up here if need me.”

The turian turned and disappeared into the elevator leaving her virtually alone with her thoughts as she stared at the map. EDI had sent what little information they had gleaned from leviathan to the Normandy. There was not much to go on, just a general location. There were a number of systems within that region of space.

“Joker, take us to Sigurd's Cradle. We'll start our scans in those systems.” Shepard said into the ship's comm.

“Aye, Commander.” Joker said even as she felt the subtle changes in the decking that indicated a shift in the drive core.

The jump through the Mass Relay was not a subtle thing, however. It left her stomach feeling like she was in free-fall, that instant just before gravity took over and dragged the body downward. She gripped the railing just a fraction harder as she frowned at the galaxy map. It shifted in a swirl of stars and light to reflect their new position.

“I am detecting an anomalous reading in the Psi Tophet system.” EDI stated over the comm.

“You know what to do, Joker.” Shepard stated as she watched the dizzying swirl of the map shift to reflect their new position again. “EDI, give me a sensor sweep of the system.”

“I've found something.” EDI stated after several long moments. “The anomalous reading is originating from Despoina.”

“Take us in, Joker. EDI, launch a probe when we reach orbit.” Shepard ordered and waited several more minutes for her orders to be carried out.

It took longer to reach a high orbit around the planet than it did to launch that probe. She heard the faint blast as it was fired at the planet. The AI would have aimed it at the strongest signal she could find. The minutes seemed to crawl by at a snail's pace as she waited for the information from the probe.

A slow smile spread across her face the second that information popped up. EDI simply confirmed what she had already read in the data clip.

“These coordinates match our trace of leviathan. I have found traces of the energy signature deep within the oceanic terrain.” EDI stated.

_Oceanic... Garrus isn't gonna like that. Turians can't swim, not built for buoyancy._ She tapped the map controls and zoomed in on the planet. There were no land masses on its surface that she could see. She pushed herself away from the railing and headed down the steps toward the elevator.

“You ready for a water world, Garrus?” Shepard asked over her omni-tool.

“Hmm... ready as a turian can be.” there was a pause and a clank of metal against metal. “You know... turians can't swim.”

“We're landing on a platform...” Shepard began as she stepped into the elevator. Her voice dropped as she continued. “You know I'll take every precaution to ensure your safety, lover.”

“Hmmm... I'll meet you at the shuttle.” he stated and the link closed.

Shepard nodded to herself and stepped off the elevator in the shuttle bay. Lilfrey stood at the lockers snapping a buckle closed on the armor around her chest. She looked up the moment the commander stepped off the elevator.

“I am going along.” Lilfrey stated as she holstered a pistol.

“You think you might wanna clear that with me first?” Shepard asked, but she could not contain the amused smile spreading across her face.

“I just did.” Lilfrey nodded as she stepped away from the lockers. “The Primarch wants more information on this leviathan creature.”

“Alright. Grab the rest of your gear.” Shepard said with a nod of her own as she opened her own locker and began wiggling into her armor. After a moment, she tapped the comm link behind her ear. “EDI, grab your gear. You're coming with us. We could your direct input.”

“Yes, Shepard.” the AI stated over the link.

The turian stepped off the elevator a few seconds later. Clearly he had not taken his armor off during his calibrations. That was not entirely unusual. These missions were getting closer and closer together, after all. To Shepard, it felt like the whole thing was rapidly coming to a head. Something big was just around the corner and she was not entirely sure she was prepared for it.

EDI was the last to join them dressed in a black catsuit similar to the one Miranda had worn a few times. At least the synthetic woman had finally opted into clothing. It was disorienting seeing her roaming the ship 'nude'. Joker, of course, had no issues with that sight.

Cortez nodded at them all as he headed into the shuttle. Shepard followed a moment later and glanced his way as the man settled into the pilot's seat. “EDI's already provided me the coordinates of the most recently used deep sea mining rig. I'll take us down there. Land on the platform. Should be pretty routine and you can do... what you do best.”

“These missions seem to be anything but routine lately.” Shepard sighed.

“Anything involving Reapers... has a seventy-five percent chance of going sideways... fast.” Garrus remarked as he stepped into the shuttle, his booted feet thumping hollowly on the deck plating.

“No truer words spoken....” Cortez murmured softly.

“Let's make sure this doesn't go sideways.” Shepard stated and watched the pilot for a moment more. She knew he was still grieving the loss of his husband. There were no words of comfort she could offer him than what had already been said.

Silence descended over the occupants of the shuttle as it kicked free of the Normandy's kinetic barriers. Shepard stood watching the approach through the forward viewport as Cortez made minor adjustments. This mission... something felt ominous about it. She could not quite put her finger on what it was.

“What's the status of the probe we launched, Cortez?” she asked softly as she planted her feet to prevent the pacing they wanted to do.

“Tracking it now, Commander. I've confirmed the signal origins. Looks like leviathan is on this planet.” Cortez said as he tapped a few keys on his holo-console. He glanced back uneasily then. “Heard how... uh... Ann helped us locate it. Pretty spooky stuff.”

“Makes you wonder what we're going to find down there.” Garrus commented, a mild note of intrigue coloring his voice.

“I dunno...” Shepard let out a sigh and shook her head as she turned toward them. “Leviathan was an ancient Earth myth. Centuries old. It speaks of a sea monster...”

“Like Loch Ness in the lab?” Garrus asked as he turned his full attention to her.

“Bigger. This thing was supposed to be a sea serpent that could devour entire ships.” Shepard said, illustrating size by spreading her hands.

“Dr. Bryson classified leviathan as a Reaper-kill.” EDI chimed in.

“So... this thing could be as big as a Reaper.” Garrus seemed to put that together and his eyes widened.

“And it appears that it does not wish to be found.” EDI stated.

“Doesn't have a choice. We're here.” Shepard said with a chill in her voice. She meant to find this thing and convince it to work with them if it was the last thing she ever did.

“Right.” Garrus said, stepping toward her and taking hold of one of the personnel straps above his head. “But then what? It plays pretty rough, and if it is a Reaper... I don't know that's the kind of help we want.”

Shepard thought about that for a few minutes. Nodding to herself, she locked eyes with her bondmate again. He was right. She was not sure they really wanted the help of a Reaper defector if that was what this thing turned out to be. They were not going to win this war if they did not enlist everyone or everything willing to help either.

Letting out a sigh, she shook her head. “We're not here to make friends with it.... and we're not gonna win this war if we turn away help.... Even if it does have blood on its hands.”

“Or flippers....” Garrus rumbled thoughtfully. “Could be tentacles.”

“Commander, looks like the probe has narrowed down leviathan's location. You're not gonna like this.” Cortez interrupted.

Shepard turned and stepped back toward the pilot. “Let's hear it.”

“There's nothin' but ocean. Most of the mining rigs are gone. There's a concentration of structures on the surface. Has to be whatever's left of the rigs, but...” he twisted around to glance at her briefly then. “the probe is giving us a signal below that. _Way_ below...”

“Under water...” Shepard side and closed her eyes at the thoughts of the biblical leviathan she had mentioned to the others.

“Looks that way. The shuttle _should_ still be able to reach it.” Cortez offered as he made a few adjustments to their course.

“That's possible?” Shepard asked as the atmosphere rushed by and they dropped toward the tousled structures being beaten by crashing waves.

“The kodiac is specced to nearly a thousand atmospheres.... though I've never actually tested that.” Cortez stated as he brought the shuttle down toward the structures.

“Guess we're gonna find out – ” Shepard began and barely managed to maintain an upright position as the shuttle suddenly pitched to starboard. Alarms wailed and she locked eyes to the window. “Status!”

“Some kind of pulse hit us!” Cortez barked as his hands danced across the console. “Systems are shutting down! Brace for impact!”


	44. Crashing the Kodiac

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crash landing on the metal structure protruding from Despoina's sea is definitely not their best entrance. Shepard is hoping this mission goes far better.

“Crap....” Garrus grunted as the entire team were thrown to the floor.

The shuttle pitched to starboard dangerously as Cortez fought the controls. His console winked out as the power completely failed.

“Ow... ow... fuck!” James bellowed from the back of the shuttle as something clanged and the meat mountain tumbled out of a recessed alcove.

There was no time to sort out the reason James was on board the shuttle as the impact threw them against the seats on the starboard side. Cortez was still trying to control the drift as they slid across the metal structure. They were thrown roughly against the portside as the shuttle tipped and continued to slide. It came to a stop with the ticking of hot metal only seconds after spinning into a sideways slide.

Shepard rested on her elbows and knees for several heartbeats assessing the damage before she attempted to move. Nothing felt broken and even if it had, she was sure it would not remain so for long with her cybernetics working in overdrive.

Garrus groaned to her left and she looked up to see him lying on his side against the far wall of the shuttle. Lilfrey and EDI were a tangle of limbs as they attempted to get to their feet. James was up on his knees nursing a bad scrape along his right forearm.

“What... the hell... are you doing here, James?” Shepard asked after a moment as she worked her way to her feet.

“I was installing the power conduit for the external gun turret. Didn't think we were heading out for a mission so soon.” he explained and glanced toward Cortez. The meat mountain growled, almost sounding angry at the pilot then. “Your fault, Esteban!”

“Alright... you're here. We'll make the best of this.” Shepard sighed as she opened the hatch.

Garrus virtually rolled out the hatch and landed on his feet the moment she dropped out onto the platform. Lilfrey followed along with EDI. James remained in the shuttle with Cortez. Without his armor, he was a liability and he knew it.

“Everyone alright?” Shepard asked her team as she looked each of them over.

“Yeah, I'm fine... Not our best entrance, Shepard.” Garrus grumbled sounding more tired than he had before they left the Normandy.

“How's the shuttle, Cortez?” she asked as she looked over her shoulder toward the interior of the shuttle.

“We're going over it now. I'll see if I can get power restored.” the pilot answered.

“Copy that. We'll look around.” Shepard acknowledged as she turned back toward the massive structure they had crashed on.

“It would seem others were stranded here as well. We aren't the first to encounter that pulse.” EDI stated the obvious as the commander took note of several wrecks.

Shepard nodded, looking around and realized a big chunk of the platform they were standing on was comprised of wrecked shuttles and ships. There was no telling just how old any of it really was. She let out a breath as she glanced skyward. The rain was cold and it looked as if a storm was brewing not far off.

“Could be leviathan's last line of defense.” Shepard sighed as she moved off toward the edge of the platform.

“Shepard.... this doesn't look good.” Garrus said softly at her shoulder. His eyes were glued to the crashing waves hitting the edge of the platform before them.

“No... it doesn't.” she admitted very quietly as she looked for a way down to the lower level. They still needed to find a way to make contact with the leviathan. Disabling that pulse was a must. They were going to need the shuttle if leviathan really was beneath the surface of those crashing waves. That pulse would prevent them from escaping the planet even if the creature was not somewhere in that ocean.

“I can't say I recognize _any_ of those ships. Just how long have they been here?” Garrus observed as he took the fifteen foot drop to the level below as if it were nothing.

“I dunno... Cortez mentioned mining rigs, but this doesn't look like any kind of mining rig I've ever seen.” Shepard shook her head as she made her way down a shorter drop.

“MSV...” Garrus pointed at the paint between his feet.

“ _This_... was a human colony ship.” Shepard said in awe as she stopped beside her bondmate to look down at the paint. A moment later, she was looking around at the main structure of the ship they had crashed on. “This isn't a mining platform... it's a ship.”

“A Kowloon class modular conveyor of human design, one of seven that were lost before the conflict at Shanxi.” EDI supplied as she looked around. The synthetic woman stopped before an access panel and pulled it open. She tapped a few keys on the hidden console and looked back at Shepard. “This is the MSV Monarch.”

“A survey ship.” Shepard breathed, the realization of exactly what they had found hitting her like a ton of bricks in that moment.

“Look! Up there!” EDI pointed toward the cloud shrouded sky.

“We've got company, Shepard! Must have been _right_ behind us!” Garrus barked as he took cover.

The Reaper roared as it barreled down on them. Shepard's eyes widened as she realized just how vulnerable they really were. That thing could easily blow them out of the water.

“Protect the shuttle!” She shouted.

A number of Reaper-spawn were dropped as the thing made a pass over their position. Heart racing, Shepard ran for the shuttle and realized she could not climb back up to it without help. Instead, she meant to defend it from her current position.

“Cortez! Situation?” Shepard demanded over the comm link.

“Swapping out the parts, Commander. Hang on!” Cortez gave her the quick and dirty of status reports.

_At least he has parts to swap_. She reminded herself as she fired off a shockwave at the approaching husks. Ducking into a small shelter that seemed hastily constructed, Shepard froze at the sight that met her eyes. Bodies littered the floor. There were four of them and they looked to be half assimilated by the Reapers. The last was on a gurney. This last body lay in a pool of its own blood. There was no doubt that these men had been alive not long ago. There was nothing to be done for them now, she realized as she backed out of the shelter.

Shepard moved toward a stack of crates barely strapped down to the deck and took cover. She fired her pistol at a cannibal in an effort to bring it down. “Cortez!”

“Almost there, Commander.” Cortez responded.

“Commander! They are everywhere!” Lilfrey yelled from the left, dangerously close to those crashing waves.

“Hold them off! Steve and James almost have it!” Shepard shouted.

“Got a brute over here!” Garrus called as he climbed up out of its reach.

“Cortez, what happened to 'almost there'?” Shepard asked as she headed toward her turian.

“Ow... fuck!” James snapped over the comm.

“Had a development, Commander. Fixing it now.” Cortez confirmed that something had just gone wrong.

“There's another brute here!” Lilfrey yelled from her position near the edge of the ship. She was backing away from the Reaper-spawn.

“Commander, I'm airborne!” came Cortez' triumphant call.

“Give us some cover fire!” Shepard barked.

“Copy that!” Cortez confirmed.

Shepard moved back enough to see the marauders on the upper section of the ship. She threw a warp at the nearest one just as the shuttle took them out. The commander gasped when she saw the electrical discharge hit the shuttle

“Another pulse hit me! The flight controls are scrambled!” Cortez shouted over the comm. It was clear he was fighting the shuttle.

“Dammit! Cortez is in trouble!” Shepard called to her team.

“ _Che ruk!_ ” Lilfrey shouted at the top of her lungs as the shuttle swooped by over head.

“ _Shepard! Get down!_ ” Garrus yelled. He was running toward her.

Shepard dropped as the shuttle barely skimmed over her and slammed into the deck ahead. It slid across the larger ship in a shower of sparks before coming to rest several yards away. Her heart pounded against her ribs at how close that had been.

“Commander, I've got enemy contact. Taking fire!” Cortez snapped through the comm even as she heard the pop of a gun being fired ahead of her.

“Just hang on! We're heading toward you!” Shepard called into the comm and doubled her speed. Her team raced after her, picking off whatever she left behind.

The commander came racing up toward the shuttle's new location and slung out a singularity to take the cannibals that were surrounding the shuttle. The second they were sucked up in it, she tapped the implant near her ear. “Ok, we're clear!”

“Nice work, Commander, but there's a development. We need to talk.” Cortez stated a little too calmly.

“I've never liked that statement.” Garrus grumbled as he came up beside her.

“Neither have I.” Shepard admitted as they made their way to the shuttle.

“Shepard, there are two artifacts in this Atlas bay.” EDI stated calmly as she pointed them out.

“That's... uh... that's... probably not a good thing.” Garrus breathed as his eyes locked to them in passing.

“We'll deal with it after we check in with Cortez.” Shepard nodded and made a mental note to destroy those the first chance she got.

Climbing up a couple of tears to the shuttle, Shepard made her way to the pilot. He squatted behind a short railing, an assault rifle in his hands. It was clear he was expecting trouble and she could not blame him in the least. After all, there were a number of Reaper-spawn still raining down into the ocean around them.

“Status?” Shepard asked as she knelt down into cover beside the man.

“We're not goin' anywhere, Lola.” James called from the hatch.

“Shuttle's a mess, Commander. That pulse knocked it right out of the air.” Cortez confirmed with a nod.

Garrus let out a huff of disbelief at that as he ducked down into cover with them. “What about the Normandy?”

“No go, Scars.” James shook his head as he joined them.

“Same thing would happen to her... and the landing won't be as pretty.” Cortez reminded them.

“Leviathan has a mean defensive system in play here, no?” James said after a moment.

“We aren't getting out of here until we find a solution.” Shepard let out a disgusted sigh. This mission was getting worse by the second.

“That mech is rigged for diving.” Cortez said as he pointed toward the bay with the artifacts inside.

“A diving mech? How would that even work?” Shepard asked, a note of incredulity creeping into her voice.

“It's a Triton model. Military grade, repurposed for deep-sea exploration.” Cortez explained briefly. “As long as the sea water hasn't corroded it, you should be good to go.”

“Well... if that's what we have to do... let's get started.” Shepard sighed. She was not thrilled with the idea of going down in that thing in search of leviathan.

“First... we'll need to restore power to get that cargo door open.” Cortez was saying as he climbed up toward the shuttle.

“Shepard... I don't like this. It's too risky.” Garrus rumbled softly, eyes darting toward those crashing waves anxiously.

“Are we seriously proposing such a risk, Shepard?” EDI asked as she looked toward the mech and back at the commander.

“We don't have a lot of choices here. How do we restore power, Cortez?” Shepard said brusquely.


	45. Checking the Mech

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus is beginning to wonder if Shepard may give him a stroke with some of these insane missions.

“I guess we are...” Garrus rumbled softly to EDI. He did not like this idea one bit.

“These old ballad class ships are equipped with exterior power sockets. They use 'em for emergency repairs.” Cortez continued, the rest of his words lost to Garrus over the crash of the waves.

“This is ludicrous. This ship is... _ancient_ by current standards.” Lilfrey complained as she waved a hand toward the mech. “We don't even know if that _thing_ is still water tight.”

“She's right, Lil... We're out of options here.” Garrus grumbled and stepped a little closer to the shuttle. He had missed most of what Cortez said, but the power cells being pulled from the shuttle told him all he needed to know.

Nodding toward the commander when she hauled the power cell onto her back, he drew EDI's attention. The AI caught on quickly and began picking off Reaper-spawn that were heading toward Shepard. He picked a few off himself.

The moment he saw what she was doing, he called out to her. “Never a dull moment. Grab another cell, Shepard. We'll hold them off.”

Grabbing a power cell himself, he tossed it to his bondmate the second she was close enough. He hated the feeling that he was making her do all the work here, but he knew better than to mess around with the power sockets of a ship this age. At least not without a good grasp of the tech involved. He knew next to nothing about older human tech. Shepard had heard Cortez' instructions, he had not. There was a good chance he might fry himself if he attempted to tamper with this particular human tech. Instead, he did what he was best at, picked off Reaper-spawn and protected his bondmate.

“Brute!” Lilfrey let out yell a moment later.

Garrus turned just in time to see it charge at her. There was a dual-toned yelp and a splash. As the brute turned toward him, that splash was followed by choking, frantic sub-harmonics and a few short gargled yells. The roiling pit of horror settled into his stomach as he realized exactly what had just happened. The turian unloaded his assault rifle into the brute and raced toward the edge of the ship the second it fell.

“ _Lilfrey!_ ” he shouted looking for some means of pulling her back onto the ship. “C'mon... a rope, a chain... a _fucking_ chord... _anything!_ ”

“Awe _shit! Lilly!_ ” James' voice ripped over the sound of the crashing waves as he ran for the edge and dove into the crashing sea.

Garrus watched in horror as Lilfrey disappeared beneath the waves before the man reached her. He looked around with the same kind of frantic expression the turian knew he must be wearing himself. The seconds were counting down quickly and Garrus realized he was holding his breath. There were reasons turians did not swim.

“ _Fuck!_ Where _are_ you, Lil?” James yelled over the roar of the water seconds before he dove under again.

Barely three seconds later the human burst through the surface, Lilfrey in his arms. She coughed and gasped, clinging to him desperately. He hauled her to the edge and Garrus reached down to pull her up onto the deck. James pulled himself up the second she was clear. She practically threw herself into the human's arms the second their feet were firmly on the deck.

“ _Never,_ _ **ever**_ _again...!_ I will _never_ visit another world with... _so much_... _**water!**_ ” Lilfrey practically hissed in open distress, water continuing to drain from her armor in rivelets.

“Guess that leaves out Earth, huh?” James snickered.

“ _Dytosa sus, na-suka!_ ” Lilfrey snapped at the man as she pushed away from him and glared.

Garrus snickered in relief as much at what she had just said. He shook his head at the idea of her ever going to Earth. Though he had never been himself, he had heard that there were huge land masses with seas surrounding them. It sounded positively terrifying to a member of a race that could not swim.

“What's so funny? What did she just say?” James asked and looked to Lilfrey again. “What did you say?”

“She called you a jerk.” Shepard said as she moved in closer to grab another power cell.

“Hmm... more like an asshole.” Garrus chuckled.

“And?” James eyed them all irritably. “C'mon, I know there was more.”

“I said; _fuck you, asshole!_ ” Lilfrey stumbled over the words, her sub-harmonics still whining faintly in distress.

“Earth's not so bad. Most continents are landlocked anyway.” Shepard supplied as she holstered her pistol.

“What's the difference? He wants to take me to a world with oceans.... after _this!_ ” Lilfrey all but snarled as she waved a hand at the thrashing sea beyond.

“Got another cell here!” Cortez bellowed from his position before the shuttle.

Shepard ran for the cell, snatched it and ran for the next socket. Garrus followed close on her heels. He suspected this one might be the last. Either it was going to be the last one or he would grab the last cell and load it himself regardless of the consequences. They needed that dive mech active now. He was not keen on the idea of Shepard going down there alone, but he knew the mech could not accommodate the two of them together.

“That's it, Commander! The cargo doors are opening!”

“Time to find out what this thing can do.” Shepard growled as she headed for it.

“It's equipped with weapons.” Cortez' voice blasted over all their comms.

The second Shepard was within range of the pair of artifacts that sat in the cargo hold, she fired her pistol at them. They exploded easily enough and Garrus realized the buzzing between his eyes had suddenly ceased. It had been so much less than the buzz in the mines that he had hardly noticed it.

Garrus heard it hit the deck before he saw it. The turian turned just in time to see the brute barreling at him and his bondmate. “Crap! Brute!”

Shepard was already climbing into the mech. Garrus pivoted and made a quick retreat a few feet out of its path. His bondmate did not even have the canopy down before she was opening fire of the Reaper-spawned monstrosity. The brute exploded in a rain of gore that barely missed drenching the turian. He let out a disgusted grunt as he locked eyes with his human sitting in the mech's cockpit.

She shrugged and gave him a sheepish smile. Sheepish, that was not a word he had ever thought would apply to the great _Commander Shepard_. He snorted a faint laugh, sub-harmonics trilling softly as he side-stepped the mech.

A moment later, the mech began moving toward the shuttle. The commander was destroying every Reaper spawned nightmare that crossed her scope as she moved. It did not take long to clear the deck and make it back Cortez. The others were already up near the shuttle itself and Garrus joined them for a moment. He wanted to be on a level with the mech's cockpit.

“Alright, Commander. Let's get you outa there, and I'll do a systems check.” Cortez said as he dropped down before the mech.

The moment she climbed out of the mech, Garrus dropped down to her level. He could not contain his concern any longer. This mission was the very definition of insane. The least he could do was attempt to talk her out of going down there herself. He figured EDI might be the better choice here. After all, the woman was a synthetic. If her body was somehow destroyed, she would remain within the Normandy. No harm, no foul.

“Listen, Shepard.... I'm all for crazy ideas.... but this one's... off the charts.” the turian locked eyes with his bondmate, willing her to see the worry in his eyes.

“What other choice do we have, lover?” Shepard said softly as she caressed his scarred mandible. “Our only way home is _through_ leviathan.”

“Ok, seals check out. Oxygen pressure is nominal. Systems are a go.” Cortez ticked off all the vital information. “It's as ready as I can make it.”

“Alright. Let's go.” Shepard said and started to turn back toward the mech.

Garrus put a hand on her shoulder and stopped her in her tracks. His voice was soft, sub-harmonics begging her to reconsider as he looked down into her eyes. “But Shepard...”

“I'll be fine.” she insisted firmly.

He could see traces of worry clouding her eyes even as she gripped the armored rim of his cowl. The second she dropped her hand and started to move away, he cupped her face and pressed his plated brow to her smooth forehead. His eyes closed for a second as he allowed his sub-harmonics to hum through them both at that point of contact.

“Send EDI.” he suggested then, eyes opening to lock with her concerned gaze.

“You know I can't do that. She's not organic.” Shepard matched the softness in his tones. She shifted and caught his mouth plates in a firm kiss. Smiling slightly as she drew back from him, she nodded. Her voice was little more than a whisper before she broke away from him. “I'll be right back, lover.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dytosa sus - fuck you
> 
> na-suka - idiot/asshole/jerk


	46. Finding Leviathan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard takes the dive mech for a spin on the ocean floor in the hopes of finding leviathan. Garrus remains on the surface with a whole lot of misgivings about this mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dual pov here... they insisted as this is a traumatic mission.

Shepard gave her bondmate one last kiss and caress of his mandible before she turned and climbed into that mech. _Give him something to remember just in case.._. she thought bitterly to herself. She really did not want to do this any more than he wanted her to. This was the cost of their escape from a watery grave. If that escape demanded her life, she would give it, but not without a fight. There had to be some compromise with this creature.

“Closing hatch.” Shepard stated as she keyed the canopy down.

Garrus stood there watching for a moment before nodding and stepping out of the mech's path. She had worried for about half a heartbeat that he would remain rooted where he was. There was no way in hell that she would walk this thing over him and he knew it. She let out a relieved breath when he climbed up to the shuttle with the others.

“Engaging systems....” Shepard stated as she began powering up the mech's dive system. It clanged around her as the seals engaged. The sudden change in pressure made her ears pop. “Ready.”

“Testing comm link.” Cortez said, coming over the comm loud and clear.

“I read you.” she confirmed. Closing her eyes for a brief moment, she flipped a switch and engaged the steering toggle at her right hand. “Here goes...”

Shepard locked eyes with Garrus for a moment before she put the mech into motion. It lumbered toward the sloped edge of the ship, cutting her view of the shuttle off just as she reached the upper edge. She went looked the oxygen feed over quickly. The pressure gauge fluctuated randomly and she tapped it with a finger. The needle seemed to twitch then lock into a steady reading. _Wonderful.._.

Resigning herself to the inevitable, Shepard nodded to herself. “Commencing dive in 3... 2... 1...”

Taking one last look at the thrashing surface of the sea, she literally ran the mech right off the edge and into the water. It hit hard, jolting her and she could not contain the gasp that escaped her. This definitely was not her idea of fun. The mech dropped like a stone and the sea around her grew darker with every league. The bottom of the survey ship rose up and she saw that more than half of lower section of the hull had been blown out. It was a miracle the thing had not yet sunk to the bottom.

“Suit holding up, Commander?” Cortez asked through the comm.

“Looks good so far.” she answered as her eyes flicked to the gauges along the left of the canopy.

The comm crackled, sizzling his next statement like frying eggs. “I'm getting some comm interference. Hang on.”

“Copy that.” Shepard replied as she shifted and gazed out the suit's canopy.

The mech dropped a few more feet and the comm crackled again. “Commander…... read me? …. losing....... signal. ….... blocking…... comm.......”

“Cortez?” she asked, adjusting the frequency of the comm. When no response came, she called again. “Cortez, do you read me?”

Nothing, the comm did not so much as burp as the mech descended into dark water. Letting out a frustrated sigh, Shepard flicked a switch and kicked the lights on. If she was descending into hell, the least she could do was get a good look at it first.

“Dying here might be worse than dying in space...” she murmured to herself. “At least in space... there were stars...”

A couple of slow breaths later and she began to see rocky structures emerging for the pitch blackness. The short beams of light from the mech highlighted them eerily. Leaning forward, she caught a glimpse of the sea floor. It was not as desolate as she had feared it would be. There was life here, at least in the form of corral.

The commander's heart skipped a beat at the sudden sound of something imploding as the left hand external light popped. A few more feet and the other light popped, plunging her into near complete darkness. The only source of light was her HUD.

“Great.” she muttered.

Firing a flare seemed a redundant act the moment the luminescent marine life came into view. They provided ample light to see the terrain around her. She nearly huffed a laugh at the irony in that.

“Not sure if you can read me up there. Looks like I've finished the _major_ descent. Can't see much from here.” she paused and looked her gauges over with a faint sigh. “Suit is... holding up. Emergency systems have come online. Life support... operational. Current depth: 3079 meters, pressure... just over 4000psi. I'm moving forward.”

As she moved and her eyes adjusted to the odd bluish-white light, she saw wrecked space craft of every design littering the sea floor far ahead. She wondered how many she might actually be walking on. _How much of this corral reef is ancient craft that are unaccounted for? The answer to that... might be staggering. How much of the life here was spawned by these wrecks?_ That thought left her wondering about most of the life in the galaxy and how it had evolved. She pushed those thoughts from her mind as she continued walking the mech.

“Scanner indicates the probe is _below_ my position. Looking for a way down.” Shepard informed her crew. She hoped they could hear her.

Coming to the edge of a cliff, she looked for a safe way to drop. The last thing she wanted to do was land this thing on its face. Cracking that canopy at this depth would be lethal. The ledge below looked solid enough and she dropped, landing with a grunt.

Tapping the power indicator, Shepard let out a soft moan of distress. _Already down by half. This thing is a wreck_. Finally she came to a decision, the only one she really had. “Shutting down all noncritical systems to preserve remaining power. Not sure how much juice the emergency thruster will need to get me back to the surface. Can't worry about that now...”

Walking the mech along that ledge, she continued looking for a way to reach the location of the probe. She took note of the readings it was sending her. Weird did not even begin to sum those up. “Getting some strange readings from the probe. Something is _definitely_ down there.”

Finally, after a couple of twists and turns through the corral, she found a drop-off. It looked steep. She hoped the mech could handle another impact like that. Better if it did not over balance in the process. She tried to shove that thought out of her head as she stepped off.

The impact was harder this time, the jolt drawing a deeper grunt from her. She heard the chinking sound of cracking glass and her heart rate spiked as she glanced around wildly for the source. Seconds ticked by as she searched and she did not hear more cracks. Her heart rate began to lower when her eyes located the crack. A tiny thing along the right rail of the canopy's frame. It might have been the length of her finger.

There was an ancient seaman's rhyme about pressure cracks, but in that moment she could not remember it to save her life. This one did not seem all that bad. A straight crack that had not branched out. She thought that meant it would hold. It had to hold. There was no other option.

As she continued moving forward, Shepard did not report the crack. There was no need to worry those above. She knew this was probably about to go sideways for her. It did not have to be so for them. Leviathan was here, she knew it and she meant to find it.

“Reading the probe directly below me. Looks like the final drop.” Shepard reported as she came to the edge of yet another drop. _I hope this big bastard holds long enough to secure safe passage for my team_. That thought seemed to echo through her mind as she glanced at that crack again.

“God..... that looks deep....” Shepard whispered as she leaned out a little ways to get a look at the coming drop. She took that last step and the mech began to fall. “Can't see anything just yet. Huh... this is like falling into a well.”

Watching the depth increase every second, her eyes flicked to that crack. She heard the gritting sound of glass cracking again at 3200 meters. A tiny trickle of water started rolling down the canopy right at the ribbit in the section of the frame that crack fanned out from. Her breath caught at that.

At 3274 meters the mech hit the bottom and she grunted at the impact. The crack expanded, growing tiny branches as it snaked across to the top of the canopy frame. More water sprayed in, needle thin and icy cold. Shepard took a couple of half laugh, half gasping breaths at the irony in this. She was beginning to feel as if death was stalking her.

Something flashed just outside and her attention turned toward it. Her voice was so much calmer than she felt. “Found the probe. Seems intact. I'm gonna keep movin'.”

 _That's all I can do at this point, keep moving. Not a lot of choices here anyway. I may die down here_. The huffing nervous laugh escaped her breathlessly as her eyes flicked to that expanding crack once more. The water was starting to pool around her feet. _How long have I got? Minutes? An hour? Less? Wish I could remember what they say about the types of cracks._..

Looking around, focusing her attention on the path before her, she realized she was on a narrow strip of flat rock. The drop on either side look bottomless. There was no way she wanted to go down any further at this point.

“Current depth: 3275 meters... pressure is roughly 4500psi and holding.” Shepard reported. _Crush depth, that's what this is. If that glass lets go, the water will crush me. Won't have time to even take a breath. At least I won't drown. Suffocation isn't something I wanna experience again_.

Moving past the probe, she fired another flare just to see if it drew attention from anything. She did not expect the sea floor to shake and rumble angrily. “What the hell...”

A massive wall of bubbles rippled up from below the ledge ahead and she walked the mech slowly towards it. The rumbling shake seemed to come in waves and she paused each time it began again. Falling off this rock ledge was not going to happen if she could help it at all.

As she neared the edge, she gasped, eyes growing wide at the thing that was emerging from the lowest depths of the sea. As it raised up, her eyes remained glued to it and her mouth dropped open slightly. The massive creature looked so much like a Reaper, she thought at first, that was exactly what it must be.

“My god....” she breathed. The only sound for several thunderous heartbeats was her own racing heart and the spray of water rushing in to fill the space she sat in.

*

Garrus paced restlessly. The Reaper attack had ceased for the moment. He had not liked the idea of Shepard jumping that mech into so much water. The turian knew humans could swim, he had seen them do it, but... _Humans drown too. Who knows how far down she had to take that thing. Spirits, it was practically a bucket of rust_.

“I never should have let her do this...” he growled softly to no one in particular as he stopped at the edge of that ramp she had walked off of.

“You couldn't have stopped her, Scars.” James offered helplessly. “The commander's gonna do what she thinks is best. _This_ was the only way she saw to get us out of the cocktail glass.”

“ _That_... is _not_ like any cocktail glass I've ever seen.” Garrus pointed out at the crashing waves. He was so distressed, he lost the pronunciation of that 'r'.

“I'm just sayin', bro.... she's doin' what she thinks needs done.” James spread his arms from his seat. “She'll be back. She always comes back....”

Garrus shook his head and stepped away from the edge to continue pacing. _She should have sent EDI_ , he thought in irritation. _But EDI's not organic_ , the voice in the back of his mind reminded him. He stopped then and glanced back toward the waves.

“ _Fuck.._.” he sucked in a breath in sudden understanding, his head whipping around to glare out at those waves once more. “You couldn't send EDI... leviathan only interacts with.... organics....”

“I still can't re-establish the comm link. Can't even track the mech. I'm not sure....” Cortez did not finish that statement as the turian's eyes locked on him dangerously.

“ _Don't.._.” Garrus snarled in a low tone.

They all heard and felt the rumble at the same time. Garrus more so than the others as it seemed resonate along a sub-harmonic frequency. The waves responded and crashed higher against the hull of the wrecked ship.

“Get to higher ground!” James shouted as those waves beat at, and washed over the lower deck of the ship.

Garrus hurriedly climbed up to the level the shuttle rested on and cringed as the water lapped at his feet. Lilfrey climbed inside the shuttle as far from the lapping water as she could get. The look on her face would have been comical if he had not been so worried about Shepard.

Just as the waves died down, the rumble came again. Another surge of waves swept across the lower deck. That was when it clicked for Garrus. He knew exactly what this was and a slow smile spread his mandibles.

“She found it...” his voice was barely more than a thrumming sub-harmonic whisper before he turned to the others. His voice raised to an ecstatic hoot. “Shepard found it!”

“We don't know that....” Cortez began.

“ _She pissed it off!_ Why do you think it's throwing the water at us?” Garrus allowed himself a half laugh of relief before his pessimistic mind kicked into overdrive again.

The turian knew she must have found leviathan. The trouble was, he had no real idea exactly why it was rumbling and creating such a stir in the waves. Shepard might be fighting the thing... with the mech. That thought horrified him and his mandibles snapped to his face with an audible click. _And there goes your relief._ _What's wrong with you, Vakarian? Why can't you hold on to that positive attitude?_ He berated himself silently and did not expect an answer. _Because... it's all been.... too good to be true... Shepard... your bondmate... It could all go sideways... in a blink and you know it. Could lose her on one of these missions. Wouldn't be much point to living after that.._.

 _~You have come too far!~_ the thunderous voice resonated through the turian's head. He dropped to his knees, head gripped between his hands as he leaned forward

“Garrus!” Cortez called. He sounded far off, miles away.

“Scars! What's wrong, bro?” James called to him, the man's hand on his armored shoulder. “Awe, shit... _Lilly!_ ” that hand was removed as he heard the high pitched keening of the turian woman in the shuttle.

*

 _~You have come too far!~_ the creature that rose up before her bellowed.

Shepard gasped and gripped the sides of her head in her hands at the sudden intrusion. She did not hear it so much with her ears as within her mind.

The creature blinked huge eyes at her and an instant later she was no longer inside the leaking mech. There was a sensation of free fall an instant before she found herself standing in an empty room. No walls or ceiling in sight. It lasted barely a heartbeat and she found herself back in the mech.

Blinking hard, Shepard glared up at the creature that towered over her. Her words seemed a little sluggish to her own ears. “I had to find you.”

 _~This is not your domain. You have breached the darkness.~_ the creature rumbled, it's resonating voice much softer in her mind than before.

“You killed a Reaper. I need to know why.” Shepard stated, her eyes never leaving those glowing bulbous orbs near the center of the creature's body.

 _~They are the enemy. One that seeks_ _ **our**_ _extermination.~_ Leviathan stated simply.

Again that sensation of free fall struck her. She found herself on her hands and knees on a reflective surface. It lasted a blink and she was back. She looked up at the leviathan again in confusion over what it had said. “But... I thought _you_ were a Reaper.”

 _~They are only echoes. We existed long before.~_ it answered.

“Then what are you?” Shepard asked. She was desperately trying not to become frustrated with this thing's hedging.

 _~Something more.~_ again an unsatisfactory answer.

The vibration she had experienced at the mining facility hit her then. She gritted her teeth against the pain that came with it this time. Resisting it was impossible and she found herself falling into that room again. It was cold here, and dark. The darkness was not complete, however. She could see her hands, her feet and a misty shroud that seemed to conceal the walls and ceiling. There was no way out that she could see.

 _~Your mind belongs to me.~_ Leviathan said as she heard approaching footsteps. _~Breathe....~_

Shepard coughed as she sucked in a breath involuntarily. She rose up to her feet and looked the woman before her in the face with open shock. “Ann? What's happening? Are we... _inside_... one of the artifacts? That's what this place is, isn't it?”

 _~Your memories give voice to our words. Your nature will be revealed to us.~_ Leviathan said as Ann pointed to her own temple. _~Accept this.~_

“The galaxy's at _war_ with the Reapers! You defeated one. Why aren't you fighting back?” Shepard struggled to keep her voice down, but still managed to feel as if she were yelling at the woman before her.

 _~There's no war. There's only the harvest.~_ the woman shook her head. Leviathan's voice was still in the commander's mind even as the woman's lips moved.

“Then help us stop it.” Shepard insisted as Ann turned and walked off to the right.

 _~None have possessed the strength in past cycles. Your own species could be destroyed with a single thought.~_ Leviathan said as Ann seemed to transition into the man who had posed as Garneau. He walked toward a cluttered counter filled with scientific artifacts. He glanced back at her. _~But_ _ **you**_ _... are different. I have witnessed your actions in this cycle; the destruction of Sovereign; the fall of the Collectors. The Reapers perceive_ _ **you**_ _as a threat.~_ the man transitioned back into Anna as she turned toward the counter once more. The creature's voice took on a note of intrigue as Ann leaned over the microscope before her. _~And I must understand why.~_

 _So this is all symbolic. We're inside one of those damn spheres and Leviathan is examining my mind like some lab experiment_. She did not voice that idea as she focused her thoughts on the mech she had come here in. The commander knew her body still had to be in that thing. This was an illusion.

Shepard's will proved strong enough to break free of the illusion and she gasped as she looked around the interior of the mech. The water was up to her knees now and still trickling in through a pinhole kind of spray.

Blinking, she let out a breath, feeling as if her head was stuffed with cotton. She felt hot wetness running down her upper lip and wiped at it. Looking at her gloved fingertips, she blinked again. Blood, her nose was bleeding. Her eyes swept over the gauges around the cockpit and blinked again.

Looking up at Leviathan again, that free fall feeling hit her again and she crouched in that same space. A man from the mines crossed his arms and looked down at her before taking a seat beside her. There was disappointment in his expression.

 _~Before the cycles, our kind was the apex of life in the galaxy. The lesser species were in our thrall, serving our needs.~_ he directed her to look at the wall that rose up before them. Paintings like those at the dig site covered them. _~We grew more powerful, and they were cared for. But we could not protect them from themselves. Over time, the species built machines that then destroyed them. Tribute does not flow from a dead race.~_

The man looked at her thoughtfully then as he stood. She followed suit and he continued in Leviathan's voice. He transitioned into Ann once more. She began to walk, indicating with a slight twist of her head that Shepard should follow. _~To solve this, we created an intelligence with the mandate to preserve life at any cost. As the intelligence evolved, it studied the development of civilizations. It's understanding grew until it found a solution.~_

Leviathan stopped then and transitioned back into Garneau. _~In that instant, it betrayed us. It chose our kind as the final harvest. From our essence the first Reaper was created. You call it... Harbinger.~_


	47. Confrontations and Risks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard confronts Leviathan. Garrus waits and prays she returns safely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another dual pov because this is Shepard and Garrus we're dealing with. They're both trippin' over the encounter with Leviathan.

Garrus staggered to his feet with Vega's help. His head was pounding, but at least his nose was not bleeding this time. The vibration that had accompanied leviathan's voice in the mines was not present this time. It had been so loud in his mind, however, as to seem to echo around in there. He had no doubt that his bondmate had made contact with leviathan. She had to be communicating with it.

The voice was softer now, barely more than buzzing whisper. If there were words, he could not make them out. He was almost thankful for that. His mind felt like so much pulp now, raw and mashed by that thunderous voice.

Letting out a relieved breath, he nodded at Vega as the man helped him to the shuttle's hatch. He sat down and leaned his elbows on his knees to look out at the calming waves. The water still thrashed, but not as violently as before. He hoped Shepard was talking some sense into the creature. _At least the Reaper attacks have stopped for awhile_. He cursed himself for the thought the second he saw the streak of fire burning across the sky. It missed the ship and splashed down into the ocean, but he knew there would be more. Those would hit and they would be forced to fight them off.

“Crap...” he breathed as another streak burned across the sky, closer still.

*

“ _Harbinger._.. They took your shape as their own...” Shepard breathed in speculation, nodding with sudden understanding. “You saw what the other races experience, the destruction they brought on themselves. Why build the machine in the first place? It doesn't make sense. You had to know your own AI would turn on you...”

~You cannot conceive of a galaxy that bends to your will.~ Leviathan spoke as it's 'host' transitioned into a tall hickory skinned man and looked up.

Shepard followed his gaze and suppressed a gasp of surprise as several glowing blue orbs swirled into being above her. They were beautiful. Somehow she suspected they might represent the mind control artifacts, however.

Leviathan continued as lines shot out between each of those orbs. _~Every creature, every nation, every planet we discovered became our tool. We were above the concerns of lesser species. The intelligence was envisioned as simply another tool.~_

“And now we _all_ pay the price of _your_ mistake.” Shepard snapped at the man before her.

 _~There was no mistake. It still serves its purpose.~_ Leviathan stated, there was almost an apologetic expression on the face of the man before her.

“You said this intelligence defeated you. How?” Shepard realized she wanted that answer more than she needed it. She had a feeling she already knew the answer. All she had to do was look back on the Morning War between the quarians and the geth.

_~To find a solution, it required information – physical data drawn from life in the cosmos. It created an army of pawns that searched the galaxy, gathering this data.~_

As leviathan spoke, Shepard noticed the floor seeming to swirl beneath her feet. She suppressed a gasp of surprise as the Milky Way swirled into being in that reflective surface. Taking a stepped to the side, she moved off Earth's location and looked this pseudo-map over thoughtfully.

Leviathan continued. _~There was no warning, no reason given when they turned against us. Only slaughter. Only the harvest.~_

“How did you remain hidden all this time?” Shepard finally asked the one question that had been pounding at the back of her mind.

Leviathan transitioned back into Garneau before answering that question. Shepard realized she was getting tired of this changing facade. _~Our extermination was not complete. Some survived and found refuge in the dark corners of the galaxy. I am their progeny. Over the cycles, the thrall races were controlled, removing traces of our existence as we directed them to. In this way, our survival was kept secret from the Reapers. Today, we reach out through the fragments and watch for discovery.~_

Shepard's eyes narrowed in growing concern as the man began to back away from her. Her eyes were drawn to the rising device between them and the artifact held within. Her voice was barely more than a rasping whisper as she glanced between it to the man on the other side. “Fragments... You mean the artifacts we found?”

 _~They provide a window into the galaxy. Tools for exploring the events of this cycle from the safety of this world.~_ the artifact vanished and Garneau stepped forward again. _~Through them, we watch, we study, and_ _ **remain**_ _in the shadows.~_

“Tell me about the Reapers. Do they have an exploitable weakness?” Shepard locked eyes with the man before her hoping leviathan would understand the desperate plea in her own eyes. “ _Can_... we stop them?”

 _~Each harvest ends with the birth of a Reaper.~_ Garneau said, transitioning into Ann. _~Perfect in its design. Each formed in Harbinger's image._ _ **Our**_ _image. Each Reaper has the power to influence organics. Over countless cycles, this ability was refined, perfected, and gave rise to indoctrination.~_

“So you're influence isn't actually indoctrination... Good to know.” Shepard said more to herself than the being standing before her. Her voice broke on her next question, the emotion she had tried to suppress rising to the surface for a moment. “But.. what's the _point_ of all these harvests?”

 _~The intelligence has one purpose, preservation of life. That purpose has not been fulfilled.~_ Ann said, raising her hand to forestall any further question for the moment. _~It directed the Reapers to create the mass relays – to speed the time between cycles for greatest efficiency. The galaxy itself became an experiment. Evolution its tool.~_

“You say it's meant to _preserve_ life... but... you can't preserve what you kill. _What the Reapers are doing... that's not the preservation of life!”_ Shepard growled in an effort to control the helpless rage building within her chest and throat. She paused for a moment to regain a measure of control before she whispered harshly. “It's outright destruction. Will it _ever_ end?”

 _~Unknown.~_ Ann answered.

“Unknown? You built the damn thing!” Shepard snapped in exasperation.

 _~Until the intelligence finds what it's looking for, the harvest will continue.~_ Leviathan answered through Ann seemingly unphased by her outburst.

“My god...” Shepard let out a frustrated breath and ran her hand over her forehead into her hair. True, she was gaining a vast amount of information, but to what end. This... creature... still had not given her the information she really needed. It still had not given her a way to get her people off its planet.

Finally a thought struck her and she looked back up at the physical representation of leviathan. Her eyes narrowed as she studied the face before her for a moment. “What do you know about the Crucible?”

Garneau. When had Ann transitioned? He looked down, eyes shifting to the side for a moment before glancing back up at her. ~ _We have watched its construction before. It has never been completed. Those who have tried, still fell victim to the harvest. It's outcome is... unknown.~_

“Ok... you made your point. _Will_ you help stop the cycle?” Shepard finally asked, locking eyes with the creature in human guise before her.

 _~I have searched your mind. You_ _ **are**_ _an anomaly – yet that is_ _ **not**_ _enough._ ~ Ann said and turned to walk away.

“Wait!” Shepard barked, setting aside the idea of herself being some freak of evolution.

 _~The cycle will continue.~_ Ann turned back and glared at her.

“ _No!_ _You've_ been _watching_. You _know_ this cycle is different.” Shepard could not contain the desperation in her voice now. This creature before her had built the damn Reapers. It know how they worked, what they sought and yet... and yet...

 _~We will survive. You will remain here as a servant of our needs. The Reapers will harvest the rest.~_ Ann said coldly.

Shepard's eyes widened at that. Garrus flashed into her mind then. He would die up on the surface. Gunned down by Reaper-spawn when he grew tired or finally ran out of ammo. Starvation when the emergency rations on the shuttle ran out, or harvested. Her whole world would be gone, her reason for continuing... dead.

“I _won't_ accept that! There's another way, there _has_ to be!” Shepard growled as she glared at the woman before her. “ _Release me_.... and no one else has to be harvested.”

 _~Nothing will change.~_ Ann shook her head.

“You don't _know_ that! You said I'm an anomaly. Let me try!” Shepard had never begged for anything, always claimed she never would, but for this one chance... She knew she would get down on her knees and beg this creature to let her try to save them all.

 _~Nothing will change.~_ Ann repeated, but there was a thoughtful look on her face now.

“The _Reapers_ know where you are! You _can't_ just watch anymore – you have to fight!” Shepard continued and followed the woman as she began to walk away again. “Even if you survive the battle today, the Reapers _won't stop – ever!_ Release me, and we have a chance to end this once and for all.”

Ann had stopped in her tracks. She looked back at Shepard once before turning again. And then she simply disappeared. Shepard found herself alone in that vast and fathomless room. She stood there looking around for what felt an eternity. This felt... wrong somehow.

A moment later, Ann reappeared. _~Your confidence is singular.~_

“I've earned it; out there _fighting_ , where _you_ should _be_.” Shepard growled at the woman as Ann began to pace.

Ann transitioned into Garneau once more as she paced. _~It is clear why the Reapers perceive you as a threat. Your victories are more than a product of chance.~_

 _~We will fight. But not for you, or any lesser race. We were the first, the apex race. We will survive.~_ a second man walked in behind her and she turned to glance at him.

Ann crossed his path, her eyes following him for a second before locking to Shepard. _~And the Reapers who trespass on this world will understand our power. They will become our slaves. Today, they pay their tribute in blood.~_

It was like being hit by cold lightning the instant she was blasted from that room. Shepard gasped in a great lungful of air, banging her head on the headrest within the mech. Alarms were going off and her eyes snapped open at the icy sensation of water lapping at her chest. The water kept coming in, more of it and faster now. The crack had spread all the way across the upper section of the canopy, fanning out toward the bottom in an ever increasing spider web. There were a number of pinholes spewing tiny jets of saline.

Coughing at the thinning oxygen levels, she began tapping keys. She backed the mech up several steps and hit the launch sequence for the main thruster. The thought occurred to her the second it engaged, that this might not be such a great idea. With the pressure being destabilized by the leaks, she could be setting herself up for some nasty consequences.

“Anything's better than drowning down here.” she croaked to herself as the mech shot toward the surface, thrusting her downward into the water.

*

Garrus had switched to his pistol, firing at the steady stream of husks as he hunkered down near the shuttle. His pistol clicked on an empty chamber and he glanced past the husks racing toward him to the pair of brutes beyond. This was it and they all knew.

Cortez had managed to restore power to the shuttle after he and James had retrieved the power cells. That was a plus, but they still could not lift off without being zapped by leviathan's defenses. They were going to die on this miserable ball of water.

The turian's eyes flicked toward EDI as her assault rifle beeped; empty. James had already blown through everything he had. Lilfrey had resorted to biotic blasts as well as hand-to-hand combat when the husks came charging in too close. She had a deep gash across her cheekbone and mandible that continued to seep cobalt.

The sound of heavy metal hitting the deck snapped Garrus' attention toward the place Shepard had dropped the mech. His heart lurched as the mech took two lumbering steps forward. The canopy opened and several gallons of water spilled out, washing Shepard half way across the deck before the mech fell overboard. She coughed and attempted to rise as one of the brutes turned toward her.

Garrus was frantically looking for a way to distract the brutes as the second one took notice of his bondmate as well. She had barely managed two wobbling steps before she went down. The commander coughed again, ragged and hoarse sounding as she tried to crawl a few inches before rolling to her side.

The head of one brute suddenly snapped up as if it had been punched. It turned on its companion, punching it, charging and attacking. Husks and cannibals turned on each other in the same moment. Garrus wasted no time. Without a thought for his own safety, he ran out to his bondmate. She was barely moving as he reached her. Grabbing her, he hauled her to her feet.

“Shepard's back! Cortez, talk to me!” Garrus barked into his comm link just as the freezing cold human at his side collapsed. He swung her up into his arms and ran toward the LZ, his feet thundering across the deck.

The sounds of combat between the husks continued behind the turian as he raced toward the LZ. He ignored them as the shuttle swung into view overhead. A silent curse surged through his mind at the pilot for having lifted off without ensuring they were onboard first. He understood why. The man was protecting their means of escape from the brutes. Still, it just rubbed him the wrong way.

“We're good to go!” came Cortez' enthusiastic reply. “I dunno what the commander did, but the pulse is offline!”

A brute dropped in front of them and Garrus lost his grip on her as he staggered to a halt. Shepard slipped back to her feet and her knees buckled once again. He stumbled back a step with her before hooking her knees over his arm and hauling her up again. She was dead weight and he firmly pushed that thought out of his mind as he dodged around the fighting brutes.

The shuttle hovered over the LZ as the hatch opened. Garrus barely waited long enough for it to clear his head before he was practically rolling Shepard inside onto the floor. He climbed in after her quickly, hitting the release to seal the hatch. The shuttle banked hard and they slid toward the closing hatch. He dug his booted talons into the floor plating as he gripped the seat closest to him. Shepard rolled toward him limply, unresponsive.

“Dammit! We've got a Reaper inbound!” Cortez practically yelled from his seat at the controls.

Garrus glanced up toward the window, his eyes widening and mouth dropping open slightly. To come so far to be snuffed out now... That was not what he had in mind. The Reaper's primary weapon began to flare a deep crimson as it angled itself toward them. He felt, more than heard, the sudden vibration as the pulse hit the Reaper head on. White-hot energy rolled across its hull as it listed to the side and began to fall. They all heard the thunderous splash of it hitting the sea below. The shuttle sped away toward space and the Normandy beyond.

“Shepard... c'mon, wake up!” Yanking his gloves off, Garrus returned his attention to his bondmate and touched her ghostly pale face. His sub-harmonics let out a distressed trill as his fingertips made contact with her skin. “She's freezing!”

Omni-tool open, he scanned her with both it and his visor. Nothing, no heartbeat, no breath... she simply lay there growing colder by the second. His hand trailed down her cheek to her throat. There was no pulse point beneath his fingers and his breath caught. He had hoped his instruments were malfunctioning.

“Move back.” Lilfrey said, sinking to her knees beside them.

“What?” he asked in confusion, eyes narrowing on the female.

“Let her go, Vakarian.” the turian female said as she placed a hand on the commander's throat.

Reluctantly, he did as she asked and shifted to lean against the hatch behind him. He watched Lilfrey begin to focus and felt the electric crackle in the air near her as she grasped her biotics. Before he could object, she hit the commander with a neural shock. The human's body jerked, her back arching with the jolt.

Lilfrey only held the neural shock for a few seconds before releasing it. The commander's body sagged back to the floor, her vitals unchanged. The turian woman hit her again with the neural shock, stronger this time. Again Shepard's body responded.

The commander gasped in a breath, coughed and Lilfrey rolled her to her side as both sea water and blood poured from her lungs. Garrus locked eyes with the other turian with a heartfelt nod before reaching for Shepard again.

“Easy, Shepard.” the turian hummed softly at her as she struggled to sit up. He gently hauled her forward into a seated position as she continued to cough.

“Mmm-mother of all headaches...” Shepard moaned as she clamped her hands around her head. She leaned into him, her head resting against his scarred throat.

Wrapping his arms around her, he let out a concerned hum. “ _Never.._. do that again.”

Shepard huffed a faint laugh against his throat and nodded. “Not planning to.”


	48. Desperate Measures

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leviathan has agreed to at least defend itself and release them, but Shepard's in trouble.

“I've got Ann Bryson on the comm.” Cortez called back to them the instant the kodiak breached the atmosphere.

Shepard leaned hard into Garrus for another couple of heartbeats before she raised up with a sniffle and turned blurry eyes toward the pilot. Her lungs still felt full of fluid and her sinuses were on fire.

Nodding, she found her voice after another breath. “Good. Put her through.”

“Commander.” Ann's voice came through the shuttle's comm system.

Shepard did not extradite herself from her bondmate's arms. Instead, she remained tucked against him attempting to remain awake. Her head was spinning and her lungs hurt with every breath. Her voice was almost gravely as she asked the question. “You feeling better?”

“Yes. Thank you, I'm doing fine. What happened?” Ann asked sharply.

“We found it, Ann.” Shepard forced the words out past a cough. “We found leviathan.”

“Was it worth it?” the woman asked then.

Shepard locked eyes with Garrus. She saw the worried set of his mandibles and brow-plates. There was unmasked fear in his eyes. Fear for her, she knew even as her body was wracked with a fit of coughing.

The moment the fit passed, she nodded even though the woman could not see her. Her voice was barely more than a whisper when she spoke again. “It was. We exposed it, pushed it into the light. Whether it likes it or not, it's a part of this war now.”

“Sounds like an amazing story.” Ann enthused.

“One for the history books...” Garrus grumbled softly.

“Well, I look forward to hearing all about it. My father would appreciate this, knowing the truth was out there.” Ann said pertly. “In the meantime, Admiral Hackett has asked me to join his scientific team. We all have our parts to play. I should get to it.”

“Take care, Ann... and thanks for all your help. Shepard out.” the second the comm link closed, she was thrown into another coughing fit that left pain running down both her arms.

Garrus held onto her as her body sagged against him. She clung to him, leaning over his left arm as she all but doubled over coughing. Her lungs burned and a mouthful of blood gushed up out of her onto the floor beside her bondmate.

“ _Shepard!_ ” Garrus practically hissed her name the second he saw the strings of blood continuing to dribble off her lips to the floor.

“Somethings... wrong...” she croaked at him and clung tighter to his arm. She gripped his arm then and forced the words out. “Leviathan made them... they made the Reapers. Hackett... he needs... to know.”

EDI squatted down before her, omni-tool open in seconds. Her eyes flicked through whatever she was reading rapidly. The synthetic woman locked eyes with her and stated. “Decompression sickness.”

“The bends? Are you joking?” James asked from the other side of the shuttle.

“I would not joke with Shepard's life on the line. We should get her to Dr. Chakwas as soon as possible.” EDI stated.

“Wonderful...” Shepard grumbled, her head still spinning as the painful tingling continued in her arms.

“I... thought decompression sickness only happened with prolonged space walks.” Garrus murmured.

“Deep sea diving has resulted in millions of cases over the centuries. Care must be taken to prevent further injury. I suggest administering a does of medi-gel immediately to slow the process.” EDI stated.

Shepard nodded, eyelids drooping as she raised up enough to lock eyes with the turian. He was already locking a cartridge into her hardsuit. She felt a warm lassitude wash over her the second it was administered and nodded at him. This had been a hell of a day and it seemed it was just going to get more interesting.

“I've got you, Shepard.” he said to her softly as he held her in an upright position between his knees.

“Docking with the Normandy in 3... 2... 1... Landing sequence initiated.” Cortez informed them.

The moment they felt the shuttle land, the hatch opened. Garrus was on his feet, hauling her up with him in an instant. She staggered against him and he held her to him tighter.

“I would recommend carrying her, Officer Vakarian.” EDI stated.

“I can walk...” Shepard grumbled, but there was no strength behind it.

“No... you cannot, nor should you.” EDI said to her. Looking up at the turian, she practically gave him an order. “Carry her.”

With a nod and a faint grunt of acknowledgment, Garrus swung her up into his arms and headed for the elevator. She had no choice but to allow it. Her body had betrayed her with weakness. Flashes of the crew deck came to her as the turian nearly ran for the medbay. Her head lulled against his shoulder as they entered medical and the smell of antiseptic hit her.

Garrus sat her down on the nearest exam bed and knelt down beside her. The doctor hurried over, but she could not have said what the woman was asking. The turian answered and the doctor responded. She was eased down on the bed onto her left side. A few seconds later, she felt as if she were about to slide off the thing onto her head as the upper section was tilted downward somewhat. What she thought must be a kinetic barrier was erected around her the moment the bed stopped moving. Cool air flooded over her and breathing became less of a struggle.

“Commander...” Chakwas' face swam into view minutes or hours later, she could not be sure of the timing. “Can you hear me?”

“Mmmm...” Shepard moaned and rolled her tongue around her mouth at the sound. She nodded weakly at the woman. “I'm... here.”

“Welcome back to the land of the living, Commander.” Chakwas said cheerfully. A moment later the kinetic barrier over her dissolved.

“How long?” Shepard moaned as she continued to lay there for a few minutes.

“A couple of hours.” came a distinctive turian voice from behind her.

Shepard smiled as she felt his hand rubbed down her back gently. “You stayed here... in one of those terrible chairs?”

“Hmm... nothing better to do.” he snarked and Shepard let out a snicker as she slowly sat up.

“Cocky turian...” she breathed as she gripped the edge of the bed and waited for the world to tilt sideways. The dizziness never came.

“You love it...” he murmured as he came around to stand before her.

“Mmm... you know I do.” she nodded and experimentally got to her feet.

“You're free to return to active duty, Commander. Your blood gases have returned to normal.” Chakwas said as she returned to her terminal.

“Thank you, Doctor.” Shepard murmured as she gripped the turian's arm for stability.

“Think nothing of it.” the doctor nodded.

“The mess... or our quarters?” Garrus asked, concern still heavy in his voice.

“The QEC. I have a report to deliver to Hackett.” Shepard sighed and carefully released her bondmate's arm to head for the door.

“Should I... tag along? You know... to make sure you don't... fall over?” Garrus asked almost sounding the like the awkward turian she had seduced so long ago.

“C'mon.” Shepard indicated the door with a nod of her head. “Let's get this done and then head upstairs. It's been a long day.”

The trip to the QEC was relatively uneventful. Shepard only stumbled once and that was just in stepping off the elevator. Garrus tucked her hand into the crook of his arm after that and refused to release it. It was clear he meant to make sure she made it to her destination without any mishaps.

“Commander, I've finished reading your report.” Hackett said a few minutes after he stepped onto the QEC before her.

Shepard glanced back at Garrus and he gave her a sheepish flick of his unmarred mandible along with a very human-like shrug. She knew he had filed the report on her behalf. He knew the basics of what had happened on the planet and that was undoubtedly what he would have filed.

Looking back to Hackett, she nodded. “The Alliance wanted more intelligence of the Reapers. I'd say we got it.”

“Our people will be studying the data stream sent from that mech for years to come. They're already calling it the Leviathan Codex.” Hackett nodded.

_How much did the mech actually record? Did it capture Leviathan's voice? Or our conversation?_ “I'll fill in the gaps in that data stream later. There was so much more to my conversation with leviathan than the mech could possibly have recorded.”

“I look forward to reading that information over, Commander.” Hackett stated as he shifted from foot to foot. “This rewrites galactic history as we know it.”

“Whatever else it means, it tells me the Reapers had a beginning – and maybe now, we'll provide them with an end.” Shepard said and moved around just a little in an effort not to show the admiral her lingering weakness.

“That's one way to look at it. I guess maybe the _only_ way. So go out there and _make_ it happen.” Hackett nodded and locked eyes with her then. “This is a big step in the right direction, Shepard. Good work.”

“Thank you, sir.” Shepard saluted her superior officer then.

Hackett nodded, but did not return the salute. “Hackett out.”

“Is... it just me... or did he...” the turian began as he moved away from the doorway.

“He didn't return the salute....” Shepard nodded, eyes narrowing at that. “Alliance standard procedure...”

“ _All_ military procedure. Acknowledging a salute is... required.” Garrus growled. “Someone salutes you in the turian military... you return the gesture, no questions asked. It's a sign of respect.”

“It's the same in the Alliance.” Shepard sighed as they left the room.

“You've got to be hungry.... wanna grab something in the mess hall?” Garrus suggested with a flick of his mandibles.

“You hear my stomach growling, don't you?” Shepard eyed him as they passed through the CIC toward the elevator.

“Hmm... it is pretty loud.” he snarked.

“Mess hall it is.” Shepard smiled at him as she poked the button that would take them down to the crew deck.

The moment they reached the floor she avoided looking at that menacing memorial wall as they rounded the corner into the mess hall. Tali was sitting at one of the tables. Garrus stepped over toward her and took a seat across from the quarian. Shepard continued on toward the kitchenette. She listened for the banter to start between those two. Sure enough, before she had even made it around the kitchen island, Tali started it.

“So... no regrets over fighting the Reapers on a human ship?” Tali asked innocently.

“Hey, the Normandy's design was part turian, remember?” he purred.

“You know what I mean.” Tali quipped.

“Nah...” he breathed with an obvious smile coming through his voice. “Somebody has to keep you from giving all the dextros a bad name.”

“That's right. I remember you chastising me on behalf of my species, for losing our homeworld to the geth.” Tali's words sounded harsh, or would have if she did not sound as if she were about to burst into laughter.

“I never said that.” Garrus said quickly.

“Would you like me to send you an audio recording?” she seemed to purr.

“No. I hate listening to recordings of myself. My voice never comes out right.” Garrus grumbled in real irritation at that.

“Hmm.” Tali said thoughtfully.

“Listen. About what I said...” Garrus was beginning an apology and Shepard knew their banter had gone from playful to crawling right under his plates.

“Forget it.” Tali said with a breathy sound to her voice.

“No. I was young, I was wrong, and... I was wrong about your people.” he drew the apology out sincerely then.

“I guess losing Palaven put things in perspective.” Tali said quietly.

“Yeah... you could say that.” he let out a sigh before switching back to the original subject. “How about you? You ever mind serving on an all-human ship?”

“Somebody has to stick around to keep you in line.” Tali remarked and Shepard snickered at that.

“Huh... right. I could say the same about you.” Garrus huffed a laugh himself.

Shepard came back to the table with a couple of steaming mugs and some ration bars tucked into the crook of her arm. “Everything ok over here?”

“We're squared now... I think.” Garrus nodded, eyes flicking toward Tali.

“We're good.” Tali said as she got to her feet. “I... uh... I should head back down to engineering. That red-headed human is determined to overclock the exhaust manifold again.”

“Shepard, I... uh... I looked over the data logs we recovered from the mech. I... hope you don't mind...” the turian glanced up at her from the mug of kava she had slid across the table at him. “I filed that report. Didn't know... how long you might be down.”

“I'm glad you did.” she said, reaching out and covering his hand with her own.

“I gotta say, it feels like we've been after these Reapers forever....” he drawled softly as he turned his hand over and allowed her to slide her much smaller hand into his. “From Sovereign to Leviathan... they've been a _pain_ in the ass the _whole_ time. But... at least we're starting to see the big picture.”

“Hopefully that 'big picture' helps us beat them.” Shepard sighed as she caressed his bare palm. She wondered how long he had had his gloves off. This was not like him and she knew it.

“Never really thought we'd get any answers. It doesn't change much, but it does make this war feel a _whole_ lot bigger.” he sighed and ran the talon of his thumb lightly over the back of her hand.

“I'm not sure making this thing feel bigger is really such a good idea.” Shepard let out a sigh of her own as she locked eyes with him.

“Yeah, probably not...” he murmured as he took a sip of his kava.

Shepard's omni-tool pinged with the notification of a couple of new messages. Sighing, she released her bondmate's hand and opened the message. Reading them, a slow smile spread across her face. She looked up at Garrus a moment later, the smile still on her face.

“What?” he asked her curiously.

“We've been approved for shore leave. We're to dock with the Citadel for maintenance... immediately.” she breathed, her smile growing larger.

“And?” the turian drew the question out as if he knew something she did not.

Shepard wanted to frown at the idea, she really did, but she could not get her face to cooperate. There was no good reason Admiral Anderson should have made this offer. “Anderson donated his apartment... he sent the access code to both our terminals. It's ours... or so his message says.”

“Hmm...” Garrus hummed and attempted to hide the flaring of his mandibles behind his mug.

“You knew about this, didn't you, Vakarian?” the idea suddenly clicked in her head why he had been making so many more calls than usual.

“I... uh... I don't know...” he began, eyes flicking down to the contents of his mug.

“...what I'm talking about...” she finished for him with a smile. “Riiight, Garrus. Try that line on someone who doesn't know you as well as I do.”


	49. No Couch is Safe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shore leave has finally been approved. Anderson has surprised them with the offer of his apartment. As they roam the apartment, Garrus turns up the heat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reader discretion advised: This chapter is filled with smut and fluff. If you're not interested in that kind of reading, feel free to skip the chapter. You won't miss much that can't be covered in another chapter.

Garrus squirmed in the seat next to her and Shepard glanced over at him. With the Normandy docked for maintenance, they had hailed a cab to investigate the apartment the message had mentioned. Tiberius Towers was deep in the heart of the Citadel itself. C-Sec often referred to the Silversun Strip as being in the lower wards. In a sense, this was true, but 'the lower wards' was a broad term. The Silversun Strip, with it's recreational and residential areas, was located in the lower section of Bachjret Ward.

As they approached their destination, Shepard let out a low whistle at the luxury their car flew through. She was not big on all the lights and noise, but she could certainly see the appeal. _This is where Jacob was living_ , she reminded herself as the car touched down on the outskirts of the strip.

Sitting there for a moment, she and Garrus simply stared at the clusters of people between them and their destination. Shepard knew from the information Hackett had sent, that they would find a front desk of sorts not far from the apartment itself. Finding the apartment in this sea of life, that might prove interesting.

“Busier than I remember.” Garrus grumbled before opening the door and stepping out.

“Did C-Sec send you here often?” Shepard asked as she climbed out of the car as well.

“ _Every_ time a fight broke out in the casino.” Garrus drawled as he circled around the side of the car.

Shepard's attention returned to the avenue before them and the congestion of people along the way. She looped her hand through the turian's arm and started to make her way through the throng. Those who recognized them moved aside and allowed them passage.

When they reached the end of the avenue, Garrus directed them to the left into a corridor. Shepard was ready for some quiet by the time they made it to the door at the end of the hall. Opening her omni-tool, she scanned in the passcode and the door opened before them.

“Oh... wow...” the commander breathed in awe as they stepped inside and she looked around. “This place is _huge_.”

A reedy whistle escaped her bondmate. His eyes roamed over everything they could see from the door. He huffed a faint laugh as he moved a little further into the room. “I think... I could fit... _ten_ apartments the size of my place into _just this room_.”

“Commander, I've got Admiral Anderson on the QEC. Patching him through to you now.” Traynor's voice came across her omni-tool then.

A moment later, the message light blinked on a unit near the door. A chime toned and she stepped over to it. Opening the message, she glanced up at the screen as Anderson's face appeared.

“Shepard.” Anderson greeted with a smile.

“Admiral. How are you holdin' up?” the question was second nature to her now.

“Day by day, Commander.” he answered with a nod.

“Yeah...” she understood that sentiment all too well. She could not contain her curiosity any longer and finally mentioned the message. “Hackett sent me a message about this apartment.”

“I want you to have it. Take it off my hands. It's paid up for the next ten years.” Anderson smiled again and nodded.

“You... _can't_ be serious.” her voice broke on a skeptical laugh.

“You _need_ a place that's _yours_ – somewhere to recharge, clear your head.” Anderson stated as he locked eyes on her. “The Normandy is no place to raise a family.”

“Riiight...” Shepard nodded thoughtfully. “You heard about Lydera.”

“Officer Vakarian _may_ have mentioned the child.” Anderson nodded, the smile growing wider on his face. “Kahlee wanted _us_ to settle down there.... Thing is... the longer I'm on Earth, the less I wanna leave. I think we'll settle here when this war is over. Raise a family of our own under a _real_ sun.”

“I can understand that, but...” Shepard began to protest.

“I want as few loose ends out there as possible. Take the apartment, Shepard. You'd be doing me a favor.” Anderson insisted.

“That's _very_ generous...” Shepard let out a breath she had not realized she was holding.

“It's practical. We need you in the best shape possible. Rested, focused.” Anderson reinforced his reasoning.

“If... you say so. Thank you.” Shepard was still flabbergasted by the offer and the fact that she was honestly accepting it.

“And make yourself at _home_ , dammit. The place is _yours_ now.” Anderson admonished with a playful smile.

Shepard huffed a laugh at that as she glanced behind her at the turian roaming the bar on the far side of the room. “I'm sure I can manage.”

Turning, she headed over toward him and raised her eyes to the screen above the fireplace that flicked on as she neared it. _That's convenient_.

“Ok, good.” Anderson let out a relieved sigh at that. “Been meaning to do that for awhile. I'll... talk to you soon.”

“Be careful out there... Uncle David.” Shepard finally dropped the formality as she met the man's eyes again. This man had practically been like a father to her from the moment he first delivered her into Nana's care.

“You too, kid. Anderson out.” the image closed down leaving her a memory of the beaming smile on his face.

“You know.... nobody _needs_ us for... a few hours.” Garrus drawled, his mandibles flared in a smug smile as he brought her a glass of wine.

“Uh-huh...” Shepard said, a smile spreading across her face as she took the offered glass. “Where are you going with this, Vakarian?”

“Hmmm... I'm just... What's the human phrase? _Winging_ it here.” he purred, brow-plates drawn down in a thoughtful expression before downing his own drink in one gulp.

Shepard took a sip of her own and smiled at him over the rim of the glass as he set his down on the corner of the bar counter. A moment later, the turian stepped in closer, his eyes taking on that predatory look she was so very familiar with. She set her own glass down beside his barely a second before his arm snaked around her waist, pinning her firmly against himself. He had dipped her low in his arms and pressed his mouth plates to her lips before the gasp had completely exhaled from her lungs.

As he brought her back up, heat spread through her body at the hungry look he gave her. She practically moaned the words when she finally found her voice. “Careful, Vakarian... A girl might get the wrong idea.”

“What idea is that?” he half growled, his sub-harmonics rumbling possessively.

“Oh... I dunno... I might start thinking this is.... _more_ than... _blowing off steam_.” she said coyly in a breathy voice before rising up on her toes to nip at the tips of his left mandible.

“Well... I _guess_ I need to.... _prove..._ my intentions.” he purred with a rumbling growl of his sub-harmonics.

Shepard's sharp intake of breath was followed by a contented moan. Her turian had shifted the strap of her tank top out of the way, nipping sharply at the bondmark he had left there. She wrapped her arms around his neck, inside his cowl, and ran her fingers up along the edges of the plates to his fringe. A tremor passed through him at the action and she smiled.

Mandibles fluttering against her skin, he nuzzled into her neck and ran his tongue up to her jaw. His whisper was barely audible as he reached her ear and nipped at the lobe. “Hmm... _two_ can play at that game.”

“Oh god, Garrus... _I need you_...” Shepard lost her battle to control the fire burning within her at his touch.

“Never thought you'd ask.” the turian rumbled triumphantly as he guided her toward the couch facing the fireplace.

“What? Here?” Shepard asked as she glanced around the huge room.

“We're alone. Why not? And... there's a _perfectly_ good couch... right here.” Garrus purred.

“What about the door... and bugs?” Shepard gasped out as the backs of her knees hit the edge of the couch and she sat down.

The turian followed her, kneeling down between her knees and nibbling his way along her collarbone. At her question, he sat back on his heels and opened his omni-tool. She saw him tap in a couple of codes. One of them resulted in a beeping tone from the direction of the door. With the other, there were a serious of sizzling pops before he leaned back in.

“Done....” he growled near her ear as his hands worked their way down to the hem of her shirt.

A wicked little laugh issued from her throat as she unfastened the hidden snaps around the rim of his cowl to free him of his shirt. He hauled her shirt up and pinned her arms over her head with it as he nuzzled against her sternum, licking his way across the top of her left breast.

“ _Spirits..._ I thought I'd lost you on the shuttle.” he whispered hoarsely as he nuzzled his face into the pulse point of her neck.

“We're not doing that. _Stay with me, Garrus_. Right here, right now.... in _this_ moment. _I need you._ ” her words were ragged, a desperate plea to push the trauma of the day before to a distance.

*

Garrus growled at her request and stripped his own shirt off recklessly. He needed to feel her against him, warm and alive. She had been so very cold, her skin deathly white. The image was forever burned into his skull no matter how hard he tried to forget it. He never wanted to see her like that again.

Rising up on both knees, he leaned over her, lavishing licks and nips around her neck. He could not suppress the loud keening whine of his sub-harmonics when she shifted and locked his mouth plates into a very human kiss. Her tongue caressed his slowly, drawing that keen out to a rumbling growl of desire. His plates were already shifting as he pulled the buckles of his pants loose. This wonderful human woman wrapping her arms around him knew exactly how to coax him from those trauma-spawned thoughts.

Garrus took a shuddering breath as he pressed his brow-plates against her smooth forehead. Closing his eyes, he allowed everything he felt for her to flow through his su-kor-a. His resonance chamber vibrated the tones of his secondary vocal chords into something so much more than his su-kor-a had ever been.

Breath catching at the intensity, his eyes snapped open and locked to hers as his su-kor-a transitioned into the rarest of turian 'songs'. His su-kor-a soma incorporated the lullaby he had taken to humming to her sub-harmonically when she had nightmares. Everything he felt for her rolled into one loving song of devotion as he cupped her face in his hands.

*

Garrus whispered her name, her given name as those glacial blue eyes locked with hers. The intensity in his gaze was almost intimidating. She heard his sub-harmonics shift and change. The devotion rolling off him was almost palpable. There were words, faint and whispered in that tone. Devotion, adoration, love... mine, it all rolled through her forehead at the point of contact and vibrated through her sinuses. The cybernetics within her seemed to respond to it, wrapping it in warmth and deep affection as she began to hum softly to him in return. She knew she could not reproduce those sub-harmonic tones, but she could at least add voice to the emotions rolling through her in that moment.

The turian's breath caught again at that and his hands circled around her head into her hair as he kissed her deeply. His skill at that had grown considerably in the time they had been together. The tones of his sub-harmonics seemed to weave together with her humming even as she involuntarily changed the pitch. Her sinuses tingled warmly, vibrating in a very pleasant way as she returned the passion in his kiss.

Shepard broke that kiss with an open mouthed gasp, head tipping back onto the back of the couch. The vibration between her eyes broke in a sensation of near ecstasy in a matter of minutes. It washed over her from head to toe with so much intensity she thought her toes might curl. Garrus was nearly keening as he shivered against her, hands tracing either side of her jaw affectionately.

“ _My god_... what was that?” Shepard whispered hoarsely as she reached for the waist band of his pants.

“Su-kor-a soma....” Garrus answered almost reverently as the fires of passion he had started seemed to surge anew. “En nix-ah sus, ay nenda... ay soma-kii.”

“Is your translator broken again?” Shepard whispered, smiling wickedly at him as his pants hit the floor.

*

“Hmm... _no_...” he answered with a quick flare of his mandibles as he nipped her jaw gently. Shifting again to press his brow-plates against her forehead once more, he locked eyes with her seriously. He wanted to be absolutely sure he had her undivided attention. His voice was barely more than a whisper. “I love you.”

Her hands found the undersides of the long spines of his fringe then and caressed them. He gasped and dipped his head to her. Nipping and licking a line down her middle, he came to his destination and savored the sweet scent of her for a few long seconds.

Carefully, he tugged her hips forward until she was just on the edge of the couch before he worked her pants off. The second she was completely exposed to him, he ran his tongue around the rim of her outer lips. She gasped out his name at the arousing sensation. He growled in satisfaction at the faint buck of her hips. This, he knew, was not where she wanted his tongue. He teased her until she was practically begging him.

“ _Oh, Garrus,_ _ **please**_...” she all but hissed at him.

The second she begged him, his tongue slipped slowly across her engorged bundle of nerves. She nearly sobbed his name as her hands gripped the couch cushion beneath her. Her legs shook and jerked with every lap of his tongue and he knew the ecstasy was building higher.

The moment he was sure the wave was about to crash over her, he stopped and rose up over her. He tugged her all the way to the edge of the cushion again and pressed his twitching tip against her. He could not put off his need of her any longer.

Garrus groaned in pleasure as she carefully took his slick ridges in hand. He waited for her to guide him where she needed him to be. The second he felt her wet opening against his tip, he clamped his hands down on the back of the couch behind her. Ever so slowly, he sank into her a ridge at a time. They both gasped in building ecstasy as each of his ridges slipped inside.

Finally seated within her to his plates for several thundering heartbeats, he rested his plated brow against her forehead again. The tones of his sub-harmonics poured through them both, changing in pitch. She hummed faintly through her sinuses and he could almost have sworn he heard a faint return of sub-harmonic tones from her. Feminine and distinctive Shepard. It wove itself around his own tones even as he began moving within her.

*

Their pace was not slow by any means. His hips snapped forward urgently, plunging into her deeply and driving that white-hot spike of pleasure ever higher. Wrapping her legs around his narrow waist, she locked her ankles over the flexing muscles of his lower back. Pivoting her hips just a fraction, she cried out as his ridges slipped in deliciously burning torture across her inner nerves even as his plated seam stimulated her out nerves.

 _“I love you....”_ she gasped out against his scarred mandible with each thrust. _“Oh god, Garrus...”_

That white-hot spike of pleasure suddenly blossomed and exploded over her violently and she screamed his name. He practically roared his own release as her nails dug into the plates across his carapace. The turian bowed over her, forehead resting against hers as he attempted to catch his breath. She felt him twitching within her, his seed flooding her and spilling out around him to drip onto the floor.

“You wanna find a bedroom?” Shepard whispered, finally finding her voice after an eternity of just enjoying the afterglow.

“Hmm.... I think we should.” he admitted and before she could shift, he wrapped his arms around her and stood with her in one fluid motion, maintaining their intimate connection.

Shepard huffed a laugh at that even as he headed for the stairs. “Might be one down here.”

“ _Best_ one will be up there.” Garrus breathed as he took the stairs quickly. “You deserve the best, my... _beautiful mate_.”

“No _human_ tossed in there?” she teased him as he topped the stairs and made his way around the corner.

“Hmmm... doesn't matter... after this... you're turian enough for any man.” he whispered and stopped just inside a room, locking eyes with her, he crossed the room and sank to his knees beside the bed. “....but... I'd _hate_ to see.... another man even _try_.... to come between us....”

“Never happen. I'm _yours_ , remember?” Shepard said as she caressed his nose with her own.

“And _I'm_ yours.” he stated reverently.

“Good. Then that's settled.” she smiled as she drew him down into the bed with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> su-kor-a [sue-cor-eh]- sub-harmonic song or cadence of rhythmic flowing sound
> 
> su-kor-a soma - soul-song or the song of the bonded. this is a rhythmic flowing sub-harmonic sound a turian sings to his/her mate. It manifests during intimate moments and merges his own natural tones with those of his mate's, joining them on a spiritual level.
> 
> soma-kii - soulmate
> 
> En nix-ah sus – I love you
> 
> ay nenda - my heart
> 
> Realized I didn't drop the translations.


	50. Plans and Messages

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus has mysterious plans to see to. Shepard is deciding if she really wants to risk Liara setting up that bonding reception she mentioned what seems so very long ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reader Discretion is advised. The first part of this chapter is shameless smut. You won't miss much by skipping it if that's not your thing.

Garrus stretched until his limbs shook and a couple of joints popped, curling his toes with the click of bare talons. He lay there on his back and allowed his muscles to slowly settle back into a relaxed state as he sucked in a huge yawn. Relaxed as he was, he thought about going back to sleep, but there were things to do today. The next stage of his plan needed to get underway and soon. They only had a couple of weeks of shore leave, at the most. He suspected it would be much less than that somehow.

Tucking pillows around himself, he rolled to his side to gaze at his mate. _Mate... spirits that word has a whole new meaning_ _ **now**_ _, doesn't it? What did Cerberus_ _ **do**_ _to you? You may still_ _ **look**_ _human, but you're reacting more like a turian every day. The su-kor-a soma... you_ _ **felt**_ _that last night. It shouldn't be possible. You don't have a resonance chamber in your skull... and there's certainly no selycium node in there. Still... there's no doubt we're selycium bonded now. You triggered my node... and... from your reaction..._ _ **something**_ _happened to you too_.

Garrus ran the pad of his thumb across her forehead and the odd pinkish splotch there ever so gently as he cupped the side of her sleep-relaxed face. Her brows twitched slightly in the beginnings of a frown before relaxing again. His mandibles flared in mischief as he ran the back of one talon just over the nearly invisible fuzzy little hairs along her jawline. She took a deep breath and murmured incoherently in her sleep, turning her head away from the tickling sensation. Her hair, free of the bun, fanned out across the pillow beneath her. He tucked a stray strand behind her ear before he ran his talon over the rim of the cartilage. She squirmed into her pillow, frowning at that.

The mischief coiled like a spring and Garrus leaned in to run his tongue from her bare collarbone up to her ear. That drew a moan from her as one of her slender hands found the plates along the back of his neck. Clearly still half asleep, she traced her short nails around the small scales that ran along the outer edges of those plates. He shivered and realized this might just turn into something more than a gentle wake-up call. Right on queue, his groin plates were already beginning to shift.

Shepard's head rolled toward him and he saw the faint smile caressing her lips before she pulled his head down to press his brow-plates to her forehead. Her eyes opened only a fraction, pupils dilated, making them look dark and hungry. She licked the edge of his upper mouth plates, pressing her lips firmly against them with a breathy sigh. He allowed her access and she kissed him with the same burning passion she had expressed the night before.

The turian's breath caught as his plates suddenly released. Before his conscious mind caught up with his actions, he was up and straddling her. His hands firmly gripped the pillow beneath her as she ran her hands down his torso. She gave him that lopsided smile the second her hand closed around him.

*

“Hi...” Shepard breathed coyly as her hand closed around him. _This is new. He's normally not like this so early. Hasn't even had his morning kava. I'd smell on it on his breath if he had. What's... gotten into you... Vakarian? Not that I'm complaining..._

“Hey...” he rumbled softly as he nuzzled his nose gently against hers. His mandible pressed against her face as he rubbed it ever so slowly against her jaw.

Closing her eyes and savoring the turian equivalent to a make out session, Shepard tipped her head back, she presented him the slender column of her neck. She was rewarded with very interested licks and nips. His breath hitched when she stroked him and ran the fingers of her other hand over the pointed head of his erection. Hips beginning to pick up the rhythm of her hands, he let out a frustrated moan and clamped down slightly on the bondmark when she released him. He shivered as she ran her hands across the compound structure of his pelvis toward his sides.

Shepard chuckled faintly and wiggled just enough to part her thighs. She had discovered this position could work for them and employed that knowledge now. He growled, releasing a deeply satisfied breath the second she guided him to her wet folds. She arched her back and he slipped inside, not as far as in other positions, but enough.

Mouth parting in pleasure, Shepard ran her nails up his sides and he rewarded her with a lusty snarl as he moved within her. Her chuckle trailed off into a moan of bliss as the rhythm picked up. She realized she could get used to this. It was so much better than waking up to an alarm beeping in her ear.

*

“Hmmmm...” Garrus rumbled as he toyed with a lock of her hair. “I have to step for awhile... something planned... that needs my attention.”

“Going to see your _girlfriend?_ ” Shepard teased.

He knew she was teasing by the almost shy smile on her face. Scoffing, his mandibles flared slightly and he shook his head. “Minx...”

Shepard raised up on an elbow at that, the look on her face almost a shocked smile. She was about to say something, but he stalled her with a very passionate human-like kiss. Her brain practically short circuited as he carefully nipped her lower lip between his mouth plates.

“Nah...” he breathed with a softly chuckle. “....no _girlfriend._.. but... there _is_ a _krogan_ on the Citadel I should speak to.”

“Grunt still here? I thought he would have been released by now.” Shepard murmured, and ran a hand down the side of his neck.

“Hmm... he's still here. Stirring up trouble, I expect.” Garrus leaned into her hand and closed his eyes contented. “Not _exactly_ what I need to step out for though. You'll _like_ this.”

“Just what are you planning, Vakarian?” she tried to play at irritation and failed miserably.

“You'll see.” he purred and when she started to protest, he nuzzled into her ear. “Wouldn't want to.. uh... _ruin_ the surprise.”

Before his plates decided to shift more, he moved away from her and rolled out of bed. He really needed to get out and get this thing rolling. The sooner it happened, the more time they might have to spend alone together before they threw themselves back to the grind.

*

Shepard watched him toss his civvies on and practically rush out of the room with a wave. She smiled and flopped back on the pillows. It was pretty obvious from the uneven lay around the lower section of his tunic exactly why he was rushing out. Though she did not know exactly what had gotten into him the last few hours, she certainly was not complaining. Granted, they had had very little intimate time alone in nearly a month. She realized that could be the reason for his unexpected vigor.

When her mind wandered back toward the events of the previous evening, her smile faded into something closer to concern. There had been a moment of blinding ecstasy before they had done more than make out a little. She touched her forehead then and nearly gasped at the sensitivity there. It was not painful, simply over-sensitized.

Dragging herself out of bed with a groan, she headed into the bathroom to look at herself in the mirror. Sure enough, there was a long oval splotch that ran from just below her hairline nearly to her brows. It was small and flushed pink with a faintly inflamed appearance.

_Ok, he scraped my forehead raw. That still doesn't explain the weird sensation or... the deeper connection. It was almost like I could hear and understand every damn thing he said with those sub-harmonics of his_. She decided a little medi-gel might take the redness out and opened the medicine cabinet.

“Good god, Uncle David... Do you think I'm gonna lose a limb here or somethin'?” Shepard gasped as she looked over the contents of the cabinet.

There was a small kit of everything required for field dressing on the top shelf. Several packets and cartridges of medi-gel littered the next couple of shelves along with a big jar of the stuff. She took something the size of a ketchup packet and closed the cabinet. Tearing that open, she smeared a small amount of the honey colored gel onto her forehead. No pain, no sting... nothing. It was as if she had just applied it to unblemished skin.

“Weird...” she muttered and wiped at it a couple of times with her fingertips.

A moment later, her omni-tool went off and she glanced down at it with a smile.

_Sender:_ _vakarian.prtr@heirarchy.43.79.005_

_Recipient: shepard.cmdr@alliance.39.44.852_

_Meet me at_ _Ryuusei Sushi around 6:30pm. It's a dual chirality place. Damn fine food. Joker will be waiting if I'm not there on time._

💕 _\- G._

Shepard could not help the smile that spread across her face at the silly little hearts her turian had attached to that message. He really did not say it often. In reality, almost never. On the rare occasion that he actually did, it meant the world to her. This little display might be trivial to anyone else. To her, it was profoundly moving. He never said or did anything he did not mean if it did not come from the very core of his being.

After a few minutes, Shepard sent a message of her own. She planned to invite EDI and Traynor over to get a feel for how the crew was handling shore leave. The idea of one final blow-out kind of party before they took the fight to the Reapers had crossed her a mind a couple of times. She wanted to plan for something like that. With EDI there, she thought that planning stage might go better. Of course, she realized, she should just invite Liara, but then there was that whole 'reception' thing the asari was determined to throw.

Rolling her eyes, the commander let out a frustrated sigh at that and shook her head. There was no way she wanted to get tangled up in something like that just now. Liara would blow that bonding reception so far out of proportion that she might float away when her head expanded to the size of a relay.

_Sender: shepard.cmdr@alliance.39.44.852_

_Recipient: vakarian.prtr@heirarchy.43.79.005_

_Make it 7pm and don't be late, lover. I'll be dressed in my best._

💕 _\- Shepard_

Once the message was sent, Shepard headed back into the bedroom to rummage through the travel cases Garrus had hauled upstairs sometime in the night. That little black dress Kasumi had convinced her to wear to scope out that braggart Donovan Hock found its way into her hands and she smile. It seemed the perfect choice. She never wore dresses. This would probably drop the turian's jaw to the floor.

*

The message hit his omni-tool and his mandibles flared in a smile. He glanced up at Joker who had crossed his arms expectantly. Finally, he let out a faint trill he doubted the man heard and said, “She'll be at the restaurant by 7pm.”

“Alright... you win.” Joker conceded and opened his omni-tool. “I guess I'm buying dinner.”

“You seriously doubted my mate?” Garrus asked smugly.

“The commander? Not for a minute. You... _oh yeah_. Too many calibrations, not enough poker games.” Joker snickered.

“Says who?” Garrus asked, that smug tone never leaving his voice.

“Vega, Liara, Tali... oh... and Javik.” Joker ticked off half the crew.

“What about Gabby and Ken?” Garrus asked with a flick of his mandibles. A moment later those mandibles drew in with a faint frown. “Javik doesn't play.”

“Sure he does... when you're not around. Oh and Ken, Gabs... they don't count.” Joker grumbled.

“ _Damn_... I've got to see bug-boy play one day.” the turian could not contain his curiosity or the laugh that threatened to escape him. " And why don't they count?”

“Because they fold before I can win my credits back... just like you.” Joker groused.

Garrus did huff a laugh at that and very delicately patted the man on the shoulder, mindful of the odds of a broken bone. “C'mon, I'll buy you a drink.... _and_ play a couple of hands of poker while we wait for Liara.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> su-kor-a [sue-cor-eh]- sub-harmonic song or cadence of rhythmic flowing sound
> 
> su-kor-a soma [sue-co-eh sōm-eh]- soul-song or the song of the bonded. this is a rhythmic flowing sub-harmonic sound a turian sings to his/her mate. It manifests during intimate moments and merges his own natural tones with those of his mate's, joining them on a spiritual level.
> 
> selycium node - a small gland in the turian brain that only becomes active once the soul-song is achieved. It secretes a hormone that binds the turian's heightened emotional awareness to his mate.
> 
> selycium bond - the bond effected by the activation of the selycium node. this is a very rare occurrence in current turian society.


	51. Sushi to Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard and Joker were sitting at the sushi bar waiting for a certain turian to arrive. He was running late, something almost completely unheard of with him. Even still, the place seemed pleasant enough. At least until a group of unknown mercs rolled in and started shooting up the place.

Talking EDI down from spending all of Joker's credits on a new car he might only drive once had been challenging. Watching Fleet and Flotilla with Tali felt ridiculous, especially when she had promised Garrus they would watch it together. She would just have to act surprised when the quarian revealed her face. Traynor called a rain check on her, promising to be at the party. The others were conveniently unavailable.

Blowing out a breath and tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear, Shepard stepped out of the car just outside Ryuusei Sushi. The first thing she noticed was the music. She sincerely hoped it was not as loud inside as it was outside. The second thing was the line all the way up the stairs. This, she realized, did not look good.

Shepard stepped up to the end of the line, fully intending to wait when the host spotted her. He waved her forward and she glanced at the glaring faces of those still waiting. Shrugging at them, she followed the man's instructions and walked down the stairs.

“Ah, Commander Shepard. Your table is ready.” the man said in a really bad French accent as she stopped before him.

As he pointed her towards the back of the place, she saw Joker wave her over. Looking at the floor, she noticed it was a big fish tank and her eyes traced the tank up the columns and walls. Glancing up, she realized this place was pretty incredible. Even the ceiling was tank. _If the food's half as good, I may have to come here again_.

Slowly, she wove her way through the throng of people all the while gazing at the virtual sea of living décor. Part of her wished she could keep fish alive in that giant empty tank on the Normandy. Alas, she was horrible at maintaining fish. A space hamster, on the other hand. He was easy. Easier with Garrus secretly doting on him too. She smiled at that thought. The turian had no idea she knew he was regularly caring for the fuzzy little critter. She had caught him once allowing the hamster to investigate the interior of his armored cowl.

“Hey, Shepard. Not bad, huh?” Joker asked as she drew up to the table. He nodded toward the tanks embedded everywhere. “This sushi place is serious like 'French guy at the door' serious.”

“With a bad accent...” she mumbled as she took a seat.

“Yeah, only had to save the galaxy twice to get a table here.” Joker glanced toward the stairs then. “You've seen the line outside?”

“It is pretty long.” Shepard nodded, glancing that way. She saw the host stop a woman in Alliance blues from rushing into the restaurant curiously.

Joker held up his glass and drew her attention back to their table. “But here I am, drink in hand. Best pilot in the universe... and a rock star.”

Shepard chuckled at that and took a deep breath. “He's running late, isn't he?”

“No, you're early.” Joker snorted and took a sip of his drink.

“Any news from the Normandy?” she had heard nothing about that maintenance and repairs. Figured now was as a time as any to see what her pilot might know.

“Ah... you know. Maintenance stuff. It's hard knowing a bunch of strangers are poking around in my ship. I mean... your ship.” Joker answered, eyes training on her face a moment later.

Shepard nodded. She knew how he was feeling, but those maintenance guys knew their stuff. “The best thing we can do right now is park her and techs do their work.”

Joker sighed and shifted in his seat. “Yeah... you're right. Maybe an oil change... space-tire rotation...”

“Right. Trust me, it'll do her some good.” Shepard stated as she nodded to the waiter that set down her cocktail glass.

“Oh I trust _you_... Not sure about those shifty aerospace engineers.” Joker grumbled, glancing off toward the staircase as he brought his glass to his lips. He grumbled before his mouth made contact with it. “Always stealing the silverware.”

Shepard followed his gaze and did not see the Alliance woman... or any sign of Garrus. She picked up her glass and took a sip, brows raising in delight at the flavor. “Let someone else do the work for a change. You're on shore leave... with the rest of us. Hackett's orders, remember?”

“Yeah.. whether we like it or not.” Joker grumbled.

“C'mon. Loosen up. This is supposed to be _fun_.” she smiled and emphasized the last. “I'm _sure_ you'll manage.”

The Normandy's pilot looked down at his now empty glass and tipped it sideways, looking in. “I may need a drink that comes with an umbrella...”

Smiling, she huffed a faint laugh at the look on his face. “As the first human Spectre... I think I can authorize _two_ umbrellas.”

“Awesome use of power, boss.” Joker finally cracked a smile. He squirmed in his seat and frowned as he looked at his omni-tool. “So... Garrus should be already. His email said he'd be a little late, but... not _this_ late.”

“He sent me an email suggesting 6:30. I bumped it to 7.” Shepard said thoughtfully and glanced down at the chronometer built into her omni-tool with a frown. “He's never this late.”

“Half an hour...” Joker confirmed and glanced back up at her. “You don't think...”

“ _Commander!_ ” came a yell from across the room that drew their attention toward the stairs again.

The woman in Alliance blues was stumbling into people on her way toward their table. A feeling of dread settled into Shepard's stomach as she approached. She hoped she was not about to get bad news about her bondmate... or some war-related snafu.

“Excuse me... Sorry. Alliance business.” the woman stammered as she pushed past a customer. “Commander, this is urgent!”

“Oh god...” Shepard sighed before the woman finally made it to their table.

Joker sighed just before the clumsy woman stopped in front of them. “I don't think that's the umbrella lady.”

The mocha skinned woman stopped before the table, data pad in hand. She tried to spill her reason for being there between gasps for breath and attempting to salute. “Commander Shepard, I'm Staff Analyst Maya Brooks. Alliance – excuse me – Alliance Intelligence. There are people _trying_ to _kill_ you.”

A skeptical glance passed between Shepard and Joker at that statement. Shepard forced her face to remain still, but all she really wanted to do was burst out laughing. This woman clearly had no idea that there was a war going on.

“ _Yeah_... I think she's aware of that.” Joker practically took the words right out of her mouth.

Brooks let out an exasperated grunt and shook her head. “No... I don't mean Cerberus and the Reapers! I mean _other_ people! _New_ people! They're... it's...” A frustrated sigh escaped her as she finally caught her breath and seemed to clear her head. “Someone is _hacking_ your account. Comm channel, personal account... They're targeting _you_ , specifically.”

“Targeting _me?_ ” it finally began to sink in that this was not some wild joke and Shepard frowned up at the woman. “What do they want?”

“The intel isn't definitive yet. Last time I guessed without definitive intel, we almost landed troops on a gas giant. Which is bad.” Brooks stammered, going on in a ridiculously nervous manner.

“Brooks... slow down... take a breath.” Shepard held up a hand to stop her. The woman was clearly still so new at her job that the commander could almost smell the green rolling off her.

“Ok... ok...” the woman breathed and seemed to calm down a fraction.

“Now... give it to me from the top.” Shepard instructed. “What do you know?”

“Excuse me! You don't have a reservation!” came the host's shrill complaint from across the restaurant.

“Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Tonight's performance is brought to you by...” a man stated and Shepard's eyes snapped to him just as he punched the host. “...random acts of violence.”

“ _Shane...?_ ” Shepard breathed in complete and utter shock. A heartbeat later, she grabbed Joker and slipped out of her chair, dragging him with her. Dropping behind the table, she barked at Brooks, “ _Get down!_ ”

Guns went off behind the man with the familiar voice. He swaggered a few steps more and she realized his build was equally familiar. She might not have seen his face, but there was very little question left in her mind. This man was Shane, somehow. Shane Shepard, who had been MIA so long after the massacre on Akuze that the Alliance gave him up for dead.

Shepard's speculations were interrupted when each of the men with him aimed at the ceiling and the fish tanks above. Tables were flipped, people screamed and water began to trickle down from the holes in the glass above. 'Shane's' men were tearing the place apart quickly.

Shepard flipped their table up as a shield, heedless of the glasses that were on it. She glared at the leader of this 'gang' as he lowered his rifle to laugh at the chaos he had created. His helmet concealed his face from her and distorted his voice, but she _knew_ him. There was no way in heaven or hell she could ever forget her twin.

“ _Man_ , I _love_ show business!” he laughed and spread his hands before slinging his rifle to his back. “Spread out, boys! Find me _Shepard!_ ”


	52. Tanked

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard falls through the fish tank and she is definitely not happy about it.

Glancing around the table quickly toward the bar counter, Shepard saw Brooks crouched down near it. She held up a hand to the woman, closing her fist. Brooks nodded in understanding. She would wait for Shepard to make her way there.

Shepard looked to Joker and wondered if she had broken his arm. By the way he was crouched and grimacing, she was not sure. “Joker...”

“Ow... my pancreas.” he complained.

“Hey..!” Brooks gasped.

The commander's attention snapped back to the Alliance Analyst and her eyes narrowed. One of the thugs had grabbed her and was yanking her out of cover. He dragged her across the water slick floor the moment she lost her footing.

“ _Dammit!_ ” Shepard hissed and looked sized the ever evolving scene up once more.

“Got one, sir!” the thug yelled over his shoulder at his commander.

Shepard quickly pushed the hem of her dress up to an indecent height. She glared at Joker, who's eyes were glued to her leg when she snatched the pistol from the holster. Snapping at him quietly, she drew his attention back to her face. “Find the crew. I'm going after her!”

“Find the crew... Got it!” the pilot had the decency to blush and close his eyes briefly before slinking away under cover.

“That's not Shepard.” the gang leader snapped the second Brooks was dragged into his sight.

“What do I do with her then?” the other growled.

“Don't care... just find _Shepard!_ ” he barked and pushed the man away.

“Hey!” another of them just on the other side of her table barked and pointed his pistol at Joker's retreating back.

Shepard rose up and grabbed him, hauling him over the table and punching a biotically charged fist nearly through his throat. The crunch was audible as his neck snapped. She heard Joker gasp and glanced up as he turned back toward her.

“Did you use me as bait?” he hissed.

“Maybe...” Shepard winked at him. “Go... _now!_ ”

“You see that! Savior of the Citadel just used the brittle bones guy as bait.” Joker groused, but he kept moving.

“ _Shut up_ , Joker, and get out of here!” she growled, barely controlling the laugh just under her breath. This was definitely not how she had planned for her evening to go.

Peeking around the table, she counted two guys close to Joker's route. Lining up the shot, she took the first guy through the lens of his helmet. He dropped like a sack of rocks. The second guy noticed and started to duck. She never gave him the chance. Her shot ripped through his virtually unprotected neck.

“Brooks!” Shepard called as she rolled up against the side of the bar counter.

“I'm over here!” the woman called back, her voice sounding as if she were in pain.

The commander caught a glimpse of the woman's hand just above the opposite side of the bar. “Sit tight! I'm on my way!”

“Where'd she get a gun? Dammit!” one of the guys snapped an instant after she fired on him. Her shot missed.

“A Shepard is always prepared...!” their commander snapped at the man.

Shepard sucked in a breath at that phrase. Very quietly, she finished the litany she and her brother had lived by on the streets. “... _for anything_...”

Glancing over the counter, she checked their locations. Before her brain had completely deciphered the information from her eyes, she blasted herself forward in a stream of energy to clothesline one of them. Darting behind a table, she threw a shockwave at their leader. A thump and a very angrily snarled curse followed.

“She's _not_ a fucking _Adept!_ What did Dad do to her?” the leader snarled as he threw himself back up to his feet. A shot rang out from the other side of the room. The merc leaader screamed in rage as he lifted the man and threw him with his biotics. “Don't fucking _kill my sister!_ I need her _alive!_ ”

“ _Oh god_...” Shepard breathed. “You really are Shane, but who the _fuck_ is _'Dad'_?”

“Commander...” Brooks called softly.

“C'mon...” Shepard said as she reached the woman and helped her to her feet on the cracking glass.

The second the woman was on her feet, she glanced toward a trooper who had just landed on the stairs, his gun pointed their way. Before the red dot on her chest even had time to register, Brooks had shoved her out of the way. She fell and Brooks took the hit in a spray of bright blood.

“Brooks!” Shepard called, sitting up just as a series of shots hit the glass around her.

Desperately, she moved away from holes that bloomed in the tank beneath her. She heard the telltale of gritting glass. It cracked ominously all around her.

There was no time. Shepard attempted to push herself quickly off the breaking section of glass. Without warning, it let go and she let out a yell as she fell through the giant fish tank. She barely caught the LED billboard on the outer wall beneath it, ripping huge strips of lights off as she fell.

The stop was sudden, her left hand stinging horribly. Glancing around for somewhere to go, she tried to climb up the billboard toward a balcony on her right. The strip of light let go and she fell, bouncing hard off a slanted roof of sorts.

Landing in a slanted section between girders, she half rolled, half slid until it leveled off and she found herself in free-fall again. Desperation fueled her limbs with strength as she saw a triangular girder jutting out to her right. She grabbed at it, barely catching it. One side of it released and dangled there under her weight.

“Oh fuck...” Shepard breathed when she looked up at the rumbling noise above. The bands of LED lights were all falling off the billboard now.... toward her.

Those bands knocked her off her precarious hold as they shattered around her. She hit the next odd girder and rolled off it. Coming to rest on a slab of metal, she grunted and lay there for several long seconds. Water poured down around her as well as bits and pieces of broken glass.

_Not dead... oh but it hurts._.. She grunted and pressed her right arm into her side as she pushed herself up onto her left hand and knees. Her head pressed against the cold, wet metal for several more breaths as she tried to control the sickening spin in her head. Water still poured over her in annoying little streams as she looked around herself for a weapon. Her hair, virtually cut free of her bun, flowed over her shoulder wetly.

Grunting with the effort of releasing her throbbing side, she reached for the gun that lay barely a foot from her. Pressing her left hand to her middle, she climbed to her feet and staggered a couple of steps. She stumbled into the slanted wall to her left and leaned there for a moment.

“Commander!” Brooks' voice shrilled over her comm. “I found a secure terminal! Are you ok down there?”

“Yup...” Shepard let out a breath between her teeth, blowing droplets of water away from her lips. Her tone dripped sarcasm. “...feelin' good.”

“Oh good. I was worried you might be dead or something.” Brooks replied sheepishly.

Clearly the Alliance woman was not well versed in sarcasm. Shepard groaned inwardly as the comment seemed to simply pass right over the other's head. She pressed her forehead against the cold steal for a moment in an effort to settle her spinning world.

Grunting, she felt the need to make sure the Analyst was not about to die on her. “Brooks.... you were hit.”

“I knooow. I used medi-gel. A lot of it. Um, all of it, actually. And now everything is a little bit bouncy.” Brooks bubbled.

“Uh... I think you used too much.” Shepard huffed as she moved away from the wall. Too much was an understatement. The woman was probably high as a kite.

“So... can I help with... anything?” Brooks asked in that damnable perky tone.

“Alert C-Sec. I'll look for a way out.” Shepard breathed as she came to an open area, the floor beneath her transitioning into grating.

Taking a running start toward it, she jumped over the gap between the two sections of grating before her. It cost her. Pain lanced through her side like a knife stab. She heard people below. Someone said it was raining. The commander nearly laughed at that one. Grumbling to herself, she rolled her eyes. “That's not rain, boys. It's fish pee.”

Shepard saw the pair as she wobbled along across the second strip of grating. A salarian and a human stood between a couple of crates. The salarian threw up his arms and let them drop in exasperation as the announcement came over his omni-tool.

_~Warning: C-Sec has issued a lock down in this section. Temporary travel restrictions apply.~_ the disembodied voice stated.

Looking around, she spotted a short drop and a ledge leading to a ladder to her left. She grunted as she dropped down the three or so feet. Sliding down the ladder, she reached a lower section of grating. She ignored the warnings of both the drone overhead and the workers nearby. _No time for you, sorry_.

Taking yet another ladder down, she spotted a possible way out across the district. “Brooks, I see some skycars across the gap. Maybe a landing pad...”

“I'm checking the area. Transportation, no, food, no, laundry... aha! It's a skycar lot. Crision Motors.” Brooks droned on until she figured out what it was.

“Get a shuttle over there. I'll find a way across.” Shepard said even as she looked down at the miles of open space and traffic below her.

“Ok.” the other woman breathed over the comm. “Right..”

Shepard slid down another ladder and clung to it for a moment as weakness passed through her limbs. This was not good, not in the least. The last mission had already taken more out of her than she could really spare. Falling through a fish tank and practically down a skyscraper was a little too much right now.

“So, um, turns out C-Sec has the whole area locked down.” Brooks came across sounding apologetic. “It's gonna be a tiny bit tricky to get you a shuttle.”

“Keep at it, Brooks.” Shepard said as she forced herself to keep moving.

“Oh, also, stay off your comm. Well, except for me. It's hacked. That's probably how they found you.” Brooks mentioned as if it had just struck her.

“Who _are_ these guys?” Shepard growled. Aside from Shane, she had no idea who this group was or what they wanted.

“I don't know, but they _really_ don't seem to like you.” that perky voice was getting on her last nerve.

“Yeah, I'm sensing that.” Shepard groused as she ducked down just outside a freezer warehouse.


	53. Racing the Bullet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus is racing against the odds to reach his bondmate.

The second Nana and Liara turned him loose, Garrus headed back to the apartment with a couple of packages in hand. His neck was still blazing blue from all the fuss over having that tux fitted. Nudity had never bothered him until he had two asari staring at him curiously. The turian tailor had simply chuckled and gone about the business of making the necessary alterations.

When Liara had finally asked about his 'hidden bits', his neck had flushed blue clear to his fringe. He was pretty sure the flesh stretched across his cheekbones was glowing through is clan markings. Fortunately, Nana had come to his rescue unexpected there and swatted Liara's arm. He did not remember exactly what she had said to the Shadow Broker, but the tone was sharp.

Now Garrus stood at the rapid transit console and attempted to hail a cab. He frowned when the announcement came across the screen regarding his chosen destination. Ryuusei Sushi and the area around it was completely locked down. His eyes rose toward the restaurant far above and a coil of dread twisted around his gizzard. His visor picked up a variety of anomalies surrounding the upper floors high above his normal range of sight.

“Crap...” he breathed and dashed back toward the apartment. Armor and a weapon he could easily conceal, that was what he needed.

Garrus tossed his armor on in record time and checked the heat sync in his Carnifex pistol. Once he was satisfied it was set, he tucked it into the holster resting over his rear. He was out the door and tagging Joker's omni-tool in a matter of minutes.

The ping of an omni-tool nearby drew his attention and he saw Joker rushing toward him as quick as his brittle bones would allow. The man was completely winded as he leaned over on his knees trying to catch his breath.

“Trouble...” Joker gasped. “Big guys in black armor... shooting up the sushi bar. Shepard... had to leave her there. Her orders. I wasn't even out of the place yet when the glass floor just... let go. Shep fell through the fish tank....”

“ _Damn.._.” Garrus breathed. His stomach just about sank clear to his talon tipped toes at that news. With a nod, he continued. “Was on my way up. Wondered why the transit console was locked down.”

“Yeah, yeah... there's a woman with her, an Alliance Analyst. She's claiming there's another group out gunning for Shep's blood. Hacking her accounts and personal records.” Joker raised up then and locked eyes with him.

“Well, C-Sec can lock down all the transits, but... they can't lock down the pedways so easily.” Garrus said, his voice full of determination as he glanced back at Joker. “You looking for the others? Try the bar.”

With that, the turian took off and jogged toward the nearest building he knew had an emergency lift. It would let out on the same level as Crision Motors, several levels below the sushi bar, but it would have to do. His C-Sec codes still worked and he meant to use them to gain access to that lift.

The moment he was inside the corridor and out of sight, he flat ran toward the area he knew that lift must be in. The moment he came to it, he punched in his code. The door opened and he darted inside. It seemed to take a century for the thing to reach it's top level. He meant to take the next lift he found the rest of the way up to the sushi bar and dare anyone to stand in his way.

The moment he stepped off the lift, he opened a comm and prayed her omni-tool was still functional. He was still somewhat out of breath from his breakneck run for the lift. “Shepard? Can you hear me? You ok?”

“I'm alive.... could use a little backup.” there was an edge to her voice he knew far too well. She was in pain.

“Lucky for you, Archangel is your bondmate. Joker just filled me in. I'm _on_ foot. Be there as fast as I can.” Garrus said quickly as he pinged her omni-tool. His responded with a vague location via the hack he had installed in both devices.

Shepard was located on his level. Garrus was not sure if he should be relieved or deeply concerned. He growled angrily at the idea of her falling through the floor of that sushi bar. He knew it was a balcony restaurant. She must have fallen an incredible distance.

To himself, he rumbled the shock as he took off running again toward the dealership. “ _Damn.._. just lucky to be alive...”

“..'scuse me. _Who_ is this? You're on an _unsecured_ channel, and you're putting _Commander_ Shepard in _danger!_ ” came an unfamiliar female voice that just sort of ripped right up his last nerve.

“I'm doing _what!_ Who is this?” he demanded, a coil of fear twisting around the sudden anger that jolted through him.

“Did Joker mention Staff Analyst Brooks?” Shepard asked, clearly trying to diffuse the situation.

“Not... by name.” Garrus said slowly as he reached another corridor leading toward that dealership. It was farther from the lift than he had thought.

“That's her.” there were a few cracks of pistol fire and a momentary pause. “Everybody play nice.”

Garrus growled at that, but did not send it across the comm. He did not want to 'play nice'. He wanted his mate safe and sound in his arms. The turian was tired of her being in near constant danger. There had to be an end to it.

It took him every bit of ten minutes in a hard run to make it to the next lift. It irritated him that his omni-tool had been so far off the money with the distance.. He ducked in behind a door frame, playing it safe as he caught his breath. The breath rushed out of him as he peeked around the frame at the cracking sounds of gunfire somewhere up ahead. The distinctive sound of a shockwave thundering over a floor carried to his ear pores a few seconds later.

“Shepard! What's happening? I heard that from here!” the worry twisted through his voice as well as his sub-harmonics.

“It's all under control.” she said brightly. He heard the lie in her tone, however.

“There are alarms going off across the wards. What's happening?” Liara's voice came across the comm then.

“Thought I'd make things more interesting.” Shepard stated between cracks of gunfire.

“We need to sit down and have a _chat_ about _your methods_.” Liara groused.

There was a scream of a man going down, but it was still too distant and followed by more gunfire. He was getting closer to her position, however. Garrus was certain they were going to end up meeting in the middle of that car lot. He snickered at Liara's comment, however. He knew the blue woman would do just what she suggested from her tone.

A moment later, his omni-tool pinged with a message and a NavPoint. Brooks had sent him the exact location of that skycar lot. He was closer than he had thought. His sub-harmonics still growled as he muttered. “Nice of you to send that...”

Finally, with a nod to himself, he stepped out of cover and ran past a couple of retail stores. He saw no one as he made his way toward a brightly lit area up ahead. That, he realized, must be the lot he was looking for. “Shepard. Brooks sent me the NavPoint for the skycar lot. Meet you there.”

“Good.” Shepard acknowledged with a grunt.

“What do we know about the mercs?” he asked as he was forced to slow his pace. Even a turian, built for chasing down prey, could run himself out.

“They have guns and don't like me.” Shepard answered quickly.

A frown drew his brow-plates downward at that. Her vocal tones had changed just a fraction. He could hear the odd subvocals that humans seemed to always emit, but this was different. Hers were reaching into sub-harmonic range and he could just hear something more about these mercs, but he could not parse it.

“Not helping, Shepard.” he growled, unsure if she was even aware of the shift in her vocals.

“Commander... it would really be _great_ if you could stay _off_ the comm.” Brooks cut in perky and shifted just a step above nasty.

Something about that woman was rubbing Garrus the wrong way. Comm silence was the very best way to hack someone's comm. He knew that from his days at C-Sec. In fact, he had done just that himself a few times.

“Hey, _they_ called _me!_ ” Shepard barked indignantly.

Garrus got his second wind quickly and dashed off toward that brightly lit area. He heard her let out a distant yell and felt a blast of power rumble through the floor beneath his feet. The smile that spread his mandibles was involuntary. _That's my girl. Give 'em hell_.

His eyes widened the closer he got. She was ripping off back-to-back biotic attacks at an exhausting rate. No way she could keep that up for long and he knew it. He heard men, still much further away, complaining about her skill and let out an evil little chuckle.

The moment he ran into the the skycar lot, he all but threw himself behind an ugly olive colored car. The crack of gunfire barely missed him as he squatted down low. He did not even bother to aim his pistol, simply took a couple of potshots at them. Clearly he missed because they continued to fire at him.

Peeking around the nose of the car, he spotted Shepard coming through the double glass doors. That was all the motivation he needed, he raised up and vaulted completely over the car. Running toward the two men, he put several holes in each of them. They dropped against the column at his bondmate's feet just as she stopped out of range.


	54. Unexpected Krogan Drop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wrex drops in for a little fun just as trouble shows up in excess.

The second Shepard stepped through those double glass doors, she spotted Garrus rising up and vaulting over an entire car. The turian ran toward the mercs shooting at him, firing his own pistol recklessly. She kept her gun train on them even as they staggered and fell against the column near her feet.

The second the coast was clear, Garrus lowered his gun. He gripped it in both hands as he swaggered toward her proudly. His words were a satisfied drawl. “So... having a... _bad day._.. Shepard?”

Glancing at the bodies to her left, she locked eyes with the turian and headed toward him. “You could say that.”

“Landing pad is just over there...” he glanced over his right shoulder and gestured toward in the direction of the pad. “..but it's behind a locked gate.”

“Alright... so we find a control panel. There's bound to be one close by.” Shepard nodded and started to step passed him.

“Nice... outfit....” he purred, a deep rumble thrumming through his sub-harmonics as his eyes tracked her every move.

Shepard glanced back at him, her brows knitting together slightly at his roaming eyes. A faint smile betrayed her appreciation of his reaction, however. He must have noticed the look as he quickly turned his head with a sharp intake of breath.

“Control panel, right.” he looked around almost nervously.

It was cute as hell and she could not control the eye roll or the faint smile that graced her lips. She realized this was probably the first time he had seen her in a dress. Apparently he found it appealing. Shepard just wish it did not smell like sweat and fish pee.

Garrus glanced at her sideways as they moved off toward that gate. Seemingly right on queue, he mentioned the incident that had lead to they're currently situation. “Word is... you fell through... a fish tank.”

“We'll talk about it later.” she stated blandly.

“Damn shame. _Great_ food there.” Garrus groused softly.

“We'll _talk_ about it _later_.” Shepard grumbled and shook her head, letting out a frustrated sigh. She knew he was not going to let that go. He probably smelled the fish on her.

Starting to move around several luxury cars, she stumbled into one of them and leaned against it for a moment. The turian was at her side in an instant, one hand on her shoulder, the other tipping her chin up to look her in the eyes.

“How bad are you hurt?” he asked, his voice and sub-harmonics radiating concern.

Frowning, Shepard shook her head. She needed him focused. They were in for a hell of a fight, she could almost smell it. They did not have time for weakness. “I'm fine, just a little bruised.”

The commander gasped and flinched away from his gently probing fingers as he found the slice in the fabric across her ribs. She had not known there were any telltales of her fall through that fish tank.

“This isn't just a bruise, Shepard. There's bleeding and maybe some broken ribs.” Garrus rumbled his concern.

“Slap some medi-gel on and let's go. We don't have time for this.” the commander wheezed as he gently pressed his hand against her side.

“I... don't like this.” he grumbled, but did as she asked.

Nodding at him a moment later, she began moving toward the door to an office she had spotted a moment ago. If that control panel was going to be anyplace, it was very likely in there. She quickened her pace and headed for it. The second she touched it, the door locked down.

“ _Dammit!_ ” and headed toward the large window looking into the office. She was about to fire her gun and shatter it when her bondmate's hand gently gripped her wrist.

“Hold on...” he purred with a slight flaring of his mandibles. He turned toward the glass and stepped in close to rap on it with a knuckle. “ _Hi_ there... Uh... could you open this up?”

The volus within, reached out a hand toward the controls and tapped them. The gate chirped and dropped an instant later. The volus remained where his was, his back still to them.

“Much appreciated.” Garrus turned back toward him after having watched that gate.

The volus' respirator hissed just before he spoke. “Please leave.”

Garrus turned and gave Shepard a smug look as he leaned toward her just a little. He walked past her then and headed toward that gate slowly, a pronounced swagger of pride in his step.

“Well I could have done that.” she grumbled just before following him.

“Uh-huh...” he purred at her as he turned to face her once more. “You... were going to shoot the glass out.”

“You sure about that?” she asked softly.

“Absolutely. I know that look.” he huffed a laugh as he reached up and traced a gloved talon along her jawline.

Shepard could not argue that point. He knew her too well. “Alright... I admit.... the _thought_ did cross my mind.”

“Hmm...” Garrus hummed with a flaring of his mandibles before he turned toward the landing pad.

The commander charged past him looking for trouble as they exited the dealership and stepped out onto the landing pad. She frowned at the shuttle flying in and remember that Brooks had said the entire area was on lock down under C-Sec orders. This looked like a C-Sec shuttle, but there was something not quite right about it.

“That's not C-Sec.” Garrus had just enough to time state before it stopped to hover and the hatch opened.

Shepard's eyes widened when she saw what was waiting within. Several mercs and a gun turret stared them down. The turret was gearing up to fire when she rushed toward Garrus. Her arms locked around him and she used her momentum to drag him down and into cover with her. He stumbled and fell with her, a pinched look enveloping his entire face as he pressed himself firmly up against the business sign at their backs. His breath was coming in short bursts as he attempted to make himself as small a target as possible against those pining bullets.

 _Oh god... he's reliving Omega, isn't he? That fucking rocket... that has to be it. Never seen him react quite like this before_. Her thoughts were a jumble of anger and concern as those bullets just kept pinging.

They both heard it at the same time, shots popping through glass. Both of their heads snapped upward, eyes locking on the yelling krogan that jumped through the glass. The red armored mass landed heavily on the nose of the shuttle with a growl. The krogan ran across the roof of the vehicle and dropped on the landing pad before it. The second his feet hit the floor, he was charging the men within.

Headbutts, punches, Shepard even thought he might have bitten one of them. He threw the hatch on the other side open and tossed the men out. One he kicked out and sneered as the man fell to his death.

Shepard peeked around the sign and breathed a sigh of relief as she confirmed his identity. “Wrex... what are you doin' here?”

“Ah... butting heads with the Council over krogan expansion.” he growled as he rolled a merc over and rummaged through his pockets. A second later he stood and tossed her a rifle of some sort.

An explosion behind them forced them all into cover quickly. Shepard pushed herself away from cover and bolted for the interior of the dealership. She was not about to let these mercs pin her down with her back to a drop like that.

“Shepard, we got a way outa here?” Wrex barked from behind her.

“Wrex... _please._.. I'm a professional.” she growled at him.

“That's not a yes.” there was almost a laugh in his voice.

“Not a no.” Shepard huffed.

“Commander!” Joker's voice suddenly came over her comm then.

“We lost our ride. Where are you, Joker?” the commander breathed a silent thanks to the powers that be.

“On my way. Picked up Brooks. Figured you'd have a few questions.” Joker stated sounding a little less than enthusiastic.

“Good call...” Shepard replied. “You weren't wrong.”

“Maybe more... than a few.” Garrus grumbled as he mowed down a handful of mercs with his pistol.

“Commander! Did C-Sec find you? Are you ok?” a series of rapid fire questions bombarded her from Brooks the second the last of the mercs stopped shooting at them for a moment.

“Yes and no... Mercs in a C-Sec shuttle.” Shepard answered, waiting for the woman's reply. Something did not feel right about this whole thing.

“ _What!_ ” Brooks exclaimed.

“Little busy right now.” Shepard grumbled as she threw a shockwave at a cluster of mercs.

“Right! Sorry... we'll be there soon.” Brooks said quickly.

“Almost there, Commander. Hang on.” Joker's voice carried over the comm once more.

“Great place to fight in! Lots to destroy!” Wrex let out a vicious laugh as he headbutted one man and tossed another against one of the many cars on display.

“Wrex...” Shepard shot him a warning tone as a merc attempted to grab her. She drew up a biotic charge and punched the man in the throat with a yell.

“What? Can't a guy have a little fun?” Wrex growled, but there was a laugh behind it.

“Approaching your position, Commander. Just following the gunfire.” Joker came over the comm once more with a little snark.

“Are you calling me... _destructive?_ ” Shepard grumbled in an effort to hide the laugh in her voice.

“Hey, if the shoe fits...” Joker chuckled. “The scenic route _is_ filled with smoke.”

“Scenic route? We nearly crashed _four times!_ Where the hell did you learn to drive?” the woman in the background reminded Shepard of a screech owl.

“Brooks says hi.” Joker chuckled.

Shepard blasted another merc with a biotically glowing fist and staggered. That fall had really taken it out of her. Her side was a mass of blazing pain even through the medi-gel her bondmate had applied.

“Shepard! We're here! Get to the shuttle!” Joker called as she heard the distinctive sound of a shuttle roaring up toward the landing pad.

Wasting as little time as possible, she jogged toward the LZ. Wrex charged past her, ramming a merc right off the edge before he climbed into it. Garrus stepped past her, hopping up into the shuttle before turning and offering her his hand. She took it gratefully as she hopped up herself. His pull added to her momentum and she was tucked against his side in a matter of seconds. He hit the release and the hatch closed before them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final push may end up splitting off into a part 6 as we are rapidly approaching 150k words in this part alone... So much more to go, so many words...
> 
> Express you opinions in the comments. Should we split to a new 'book' soon or continue building into this one?


	55. Decoys and Mercs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus is barely holding it together as Brooks paces and screeches through his pounding headache.

“Someone wanna tell me what's goin' on here?” Wrex had held his piece until they reached the apartment.

“I didn't recognize those mercs. Heavily armed... and using C-Sec shuttles...” Garrus growled. He shook his head and glanced at Shepard. “It's not easy to hack C-Sec's mainframe. Has to be a hell of a tech to gain access to even one of their shuttles.”

“I dunno. Never saw them before.” Shepard stated distantly.

“But... there _was_ something, wasn't there?” Garrus prompted as he heard her vocal tones peak into his sub-harmonic range. His brow-plates drew downward the second he felt, more than heard the tones shift. It was the same shift he had heard over the comm.

The turian locked eyes with her knowingly as those tones faintly hummed of family. Turian-like tones. She tried to avoid his gaze for a moment before finally nodding. Her voice was very quiet when she spoke again. “Shane...”

“Who the hell is Shane?” Wrex snapped.

“My brother.” she answered simply.

“Your _brother_... but.... isn't he dead?” Garrus asked quietly.

“I thought so.” Shepard nodded.

“I can't believe you survived all that. They had guns! And grenades! And those drone things!” Brooks was practically screeching as she paced.

It was not lost on Garrus just how quick Brooks was to redirect the subject. His eyes narrowed on the woman as she paced between the couch and coffee table. Her voice was giving him a headache. There were few things he wanted more in those moments than for her to close her mouth.

“I'm contacting Bailey. We need to know what's going on with C-Sec.” Shepard said as she opened her omni-tool.

“ _Wait!_ ” Brooks nearly shrieked and put her hand over the commander's omni-tool. “That'll make him a target too.”

Garrus sighed, shaking his head as he crossed his arms and ran a talon over his brow-plates. Glancing up, he realized he had to admit the screeching gidae was right. Finally, he voiced the reasoning behind his exasperation. “She's right, Shepard. Until we figure this out, it's a big risk.”

Shepard glanced between Brooks and Garrus before finally nodding. She closed down her omni-tool with a frustrated sigh. “Ok, we run this ourselves... for now.”

“Right, ourselves. On our own. Outside the law.... ok.” Brooks nodded in such an enthusiastic way that Garrus worried her head might snap right off her shoulders.

“Brooks... it's ok. We've got this.” Shepard said calmly.

Brooks waved her hands around, going from seemingly excited to nearly hysterical in under thirty seconds. “I got _shot_. I've got medi-gel, but still... I took a desk job explicitly to _not_ get shot! _And_... you killed a hundred guys... with a _pistol_.”

“It happened... _please_ , for the love of spirits.... and my hearing...” Garrus glared at Brooks, his mandibles fluttering in time to the pounding of his head. “... stop _screeching!_ ”

Shepard covered her mouth with a hand as she crossed the other over her middle. He knew she was trying to contain her laughter. Grunting, he shook his head and realized it was hysterical as the woman paced around like a pyjak with a live wire shoved up its butt pucker.

“But _who_ does that?” Brooks continued right over him as he was not present. “I mean... do I seem jumpy? They said the medi-gel might make me jumpy.”

Garrus glanced to his left at Wrex. The krogan glanced at him. They both shrugged. The krogan seemed ready to laugh at the tortured look he knew must be pinning his mandibles to his face. The turian let out an exasperated sigh and glanced back at the jittery woman.

“How did you get mixed up in all this anyway?” Shepard asked the woman.

“Fraud and hacking... mostly.” Brooks said proudly.

“And... you're a staff analyst, right?” Garrus grumbled softly as he gently rubbed at the scar tissue on his upper mouth plate.

The woman's eyes grew wide, mouth dropping open at that. “ _Yes_... I mean, I'm not a hacker... and I'm certainly not committing fraud. I monitor that kind of activity in officer ID's.”

“Hmm...” Garrus rumbled as his suspicion peaked to a slightly elevated level.

“I wrote a tracking program that's really neat. I named it Mr. Biscuits after my cat.” the woman was grinning like an idiot.

Garrus sighed and rolled his eyes. He was rapidly realizing he did not like this particular human overly much. Rubbing his face with one hand, he locked an eye to her just to see what she might come up with next.

“Brooks.” Shepard admonished gently when it became clear the woman intended to keep chattering.

“Would you mind... getting to the point?” Garrus asked. His sub-harmonics were grumbling so much more. _~Spirits... I think my head might explode if I have to listen to you much longer, Brooks. I'm begging you... stop talking....~_

Shepard's eyes were locked to him, searching his face thoughtfully in those brief moments. He was certain she must have heard and understood his sub-harmonics. That was becoming a regular occurrence.

“Right! Sorry! My program detected your personnel records were being hacked.” Brooks stated.

“Since when does hacking personnel records involve heavy weapon fire?” Wrex shifted from foot to foot and asked the most obvious question.

“Shepard's military access codes... or her Spectre codes... Imagine what a criminal could do with those?”

Garrus narrowed his eyes at that. He had not thought of it in that light. His voice was little more than a snarl when he spoke. “If they hacked her codes... they might just send an assault team to take her out...”

“Explains why they need you dead, Shepard. Nothing to stop them until the damage is done.” Wrex picked up the same line of thinking.

The color had drained from Shepard's face. Garrus thought it might be a good idea if she simply sat on the couch behind her. Instead, she gave each of them a determined look and nodded. “Ok, let's figure out who they are and shut them down. Ideas?”

Garrus shifted and uncrossed his arms before he spoke up. “Well... that pistol you picked up might give us some clues.”

“For such a tiny thing, it packs a punch Never seen anything like it before.” Wrex said with a nod.

“Glyph, scan the weapon and cross reference it with every known pistol across the Broker's network.” Liara said as she came into the room. The blue woman sniffed the air and cringed. “So it's true... a shame about the sushi bar. It was a favorite.”

“I'm... never gonna live this down, am I?” Shepard asked and ran her hand through her stiff hair.

“Probably not.” Garrus rumbled softly and tried desperately not to tell his mate she reeked. “At least... not until you shower.”

“Are you telling me I smell?” Shepard half growled at him, but there was a faint smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

“I... uh... I wasn't...” Garrus huffed a faint laugh and scratched between two of the largest spines of his fringe nervously. “I wasn't going to say it.”

“Uh-huh. C'mon, Vakarian. You're helping me out of this dress.” Shepard grumbled at him as she started to step past him.

“Alright, Liara's on point. What about the rest of us?” Wrex asked.

Garrus stood there a moment, eyes fixed on Shepard as she stopped near the bar counter. She was clearly about to say something when they noticed Joker hobbling through the door. The pilot was smiling from ear to ear. “Yeah, what about those slackers?”

“You find the others?” Shepard asked simply as she walked toward him.

“Mhm... I think they actually _like_ being shot at.” the Normandy's pilot laughed.

“Permission to come aboard, Shepard.” EDI asked politely as she lead the others through the door.

“Granted.” Shepard said with a smile before glancing back at Garrus. “You're not off the hook yet, lover. I'm tired of reeking like fish.”

“Hmm...” Garrus rumbled softly at the look she gave him. “Let's... uh... let's get you out of this.” he purred as he ran a finger across the fabric over her shoulder and followed her upstairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surgery went very well. I'm on the road to recovery. Sore, tired and plotting to utterly destroy Brooks so I don't have to write the screech owl anymore... lol.
> 
> Missed adding this reference... sorry folks... 
> 
> gidae - one of Palaven's nocturnal bird-like creatures. if features scales, plates and leathery bat-like wings. similar to earth's screech owl. Metal on metal screech


	56. Infiltration Strategies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang makes plans to bust into the casino's panic room.

“What have we got, Liara?” Shepard asked as she came down the stairs, the large turian trailing behind her.

“A lead.” the blue woman stated and led them into the dining room. “I called in some favors to run a trace on that gun. It led me to a casino owner named Elijah Khan. He's suspected of weapons smuggling.” she opened her omni-tool and patched into the holo-grid built into the table. “Right after the attempt on your life, he made an interesting call.”

“I'm cutting you off. I'm returning your down payment now.” the man who was clearly Khan said, his voice full of caution.

“What's the problem?” another voice asked.

Shepard closed her eyes, not at the tone, but the terminology this new person was using. It seemed familiar.

“Turn on a vid screen. When I sell a gun, I don't want it showing up on the nightly news!” Khan growled.

“I still don't see a problem. It won't be linked to me and can't be traced back to you _through_ me.” the other voice made an attempt at reassurance.

“Save it! Our associations is terminated.” Khan stated angrily. “Oh, and if you even think about coming after me... I've got enough info on you to plaster your face all over prime time. So... ponder that. Khan out!”

“That's Shane...” Shepard crossed her arms and glared at the table.

“Are you certain?” Liara asked, her eyes going wide.

“He might have a modulator... designed to disguise his voice...” Shepard grumbled thoughtfully. “..but... I _know_ him. I know the way he speaks.”

“Those things are a pain in the ass to get around. We can't be sure exactly who that is... until we get past that thing.” Garrus stated as pressed his knuckles down on the surface of the table and leaned on them.

“What about the mercs that attacked us?” Shepard nodded at her bondmate before her attention returning to Liara.

“Shepard, they're CAT6.” Liara said quietly.

The commander frowned at that. “ _Dammit_... I knew they were too well trained.”

“Mind explaining? The turian's in the dark here.” Garrus drawled from his place at the end of the table, waving a hand at himself with a slight flare of his mandibles.

“They're ex-military, Alliance soldiers who were dishonorably discharged from service.” Shepard stated and locked eyes with her bondmate. “Most of them should be institutionalized.... the rest... can't be trusted with a gun without committing a felony.”

“Wonderful...” Garrus rumbled and pushed himself back into an upright position. He began to pace then and rub absently at his scarred mandible. “As if Cerberus... and the Reapers... weren't enough.”

“Most of them have criminal records and histories of steroid use, along with a multitude of other charming features.” Liara stated with a nod.

“Do you think the thief hired them?” Shepard asked after a moment.

“Without a doubt.” Liara said softly.

“That sound byte was pretty damning stuff...” Garrus drawled as he crossed his arms and leaned against the wall behind him.

“How'd you get this anyway?” Shepard asked, locking eyes with the blue woman.

“It involved the weapon's biometric data, salarian intelligence and... a hanar prostitute with camera implants.” Liara said with a deadpan face.

The commander heard Garrus nearly choke out a laugh at that last. She was barely able to keep a straight face herself as she eyed the asari. Finally, she shook her head and snickered. “Bullshit.”

“You're right, but the truth is boring.” Liara maintained that deadpan look.

“Maybe Khan would give the name of his buyer. I mean... he didn't sound too thrilled with the guy.” Joker suggested from across the table.

“That might take some _extremely_ smooth talking. If he sees you, he might think you're looking for revenge.” Liara said cautiously.

“Hmm... the casino has a panic room. My guess... that's where we'll find him.” Garrus said thoughtfully. “We can get around the doors, but....”

“The cameras and guards complicate things.” Liara nodded.

“Yeah, Khan could disappear, but if his guards opened fire.... normal people could get his... like I did.” Brooks reminded them. The woman sounded calmer than she had been just a few moments ago.

“Right, we can't risk spooking him.” Shepard conceded with a nod. “We go in quiet. Small team, no gun play.”

“Dr. T'Soni. This evening the casino will be hosting a charity event to assist war refugees.” Glyph popped up from beneath the table.

Shepard glanced at the asari with the beginnings of a smile. “Sounds like the perfect cover.”

“Indeed.” Liara returned the smile and her eyes trailed back to the drone. “Purchase some tickets, Glyph. Then call up a layout of the building.”

“Score!” Joker hooted and smacked the side of one fist into his hand with a wince. “So... how close can you get? You don't usually put a backdoor in a panic room.”

“This air shaft bypasses the security gate and ends up in storage.” EDI pointed out as the red marker popped up against the build layout. From there, the camera over the panic room's door can be disabled.”

“I know this casino. There are alarms... everywhere.” Garrus rumbled as he looked the floorplans over.

“I have a few countermeasures that may help. I'll know more once we're inside.” Liara stated thoughtfully.

“Who will go in this shaft? They need to be small in size.” Javik commented from the far corner of the table.

“Yeah, that's not me. Too many snacks of roast varren leg.” Wrex grumbled, a sly smile spreading across his face.

All eyes turned on Tali and she squirmed with a shake of her head. “I suspect my suit's tech would be picked up by the security sensors.”

“Mechs are not permitted inside the casino since we can have cheating software.” EDI said simply.

“What you need is somebody trained in zero-emissions tech. No electronics, no metal, just undetectable polymers.” Brooks spoke up, rolling her shoulders back just a little. “We had a course back at opt-int, disabling a bomb with these little tweezers. See... the bomb was filled with shaving cream...”

“Alright. You're in.” Shepard finally said. She was honestly tired of hearing the woman talk by this point. It was pretty clear she was small enough to fit into that shaft.

“What?” Brooks shrilled and blinked. “No! What?”

“You said it yourself, we've all got too much tech.” Shepard gave her a sideways look and tried her best to maintain a straight face.

“But... I managed to get shot... just coming to _talk_ to you. Now I'm supposed to hack my way into a safe room?” Brooks sounded incredulous.

“We'll be backin' you up. The second you hit something you can't handle... we'll cover you.” Shepard reassured the woman.

“Then we have one last hurdle go to get us inside.” Liara said as she opened her omni-tool.

“Which is?” Shepard asked suspiciously. She was not sure she how many more 'hurdles' she was willing to navigate.

“Black tie required.” Liara let out a faint sigh, her eyes flicking toward Garrus before settling back on the commander.

“ _Crap.._.” Garrus murmured so quietly that the rest did not seem to hear him as he pressed a knuckle into his central brow-plate.

“I think we've got that covered.” Shepard nodded.

“Yes, I may have something you can borrow.” the asari said, clearly considering the commander's size.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another shorter than average chapter. Recovery is a slow process and I'm still pretty tired.


	57. Scoping the Casino

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shane Shepard has taken control of the casino's security office. He isn't planning to allow his twin access to Khan or the panic room.

Shane pushed the security guard out of the chair with a satisfied grin. The man rolled to the floor with a heavy thud, blood already beginning to pool around him. Glancing up at his sister's clone, he nodded toward the body. She took the hint and grabbed the man's wrists, dragging him away from the bank of monitors. _Smart enough to be of some use... keep it that, 'sis'._ Shane let out a quiet chuckle as he took the guard's seat.

Tapping several keys, he brought up live feed of the casino's entrance. Brooks was rapidly outliving her usefulness. She was supposed to be keeping his sister off this particular trail. Instead, she was leading her straight to their weapons dealer. He growled in annoyance at the current circumstances. CAT6 had just lost a valuable resource thanks to that woman. They would find Khan if they made it into the panic room, but he would not be giving them any information.

“Dead men tell no tales.” he grumbled softly as he stared at the video feed.

“Was it really necessary to kill our arms dealer?” his twin's clone asked quietly.

“Yes.” Shane growled in irritation. A thought struck him and he narrowed his eyes, glaring back at his 'sister' then. “You did wipe those data drives...”

“Of course I did. I'm not an idiot, Shane.” she growled back at him.

“Good. This might just prove productive after all.” Shepard's twin nearly purred as he turned his attention back to the monitors. He spotted Brooks as she stepped out of the car onto the red carpet. “Show time.”

Shane barely controlled the snarl that tore past his throat when his sister looped her arm through that of the turian with the mangled face. He turned the sound feed up from the open comm with Brooks. The woman had no idea he had hacked into her omni-tool. He knew it was morbid curiosity that drove him to listen, but he could not contain it. He wanted to hear what they might say.

_“Lookin' **good,** Shepard.” the turian purred as he waved to the crowd and glanced toward the woman on his arm. _

The visor attached to the turian's skull flashed and Shane frowned. He grumbled to himself then as he tapped the monitor with a finger. “ _That_ could be a problem.”

_“I did the best I could without a... carapace... or a crest.” Shepard said coyly as she sauntered down the walkway with him._

_“Your best has my mandible on the floor. **Damn!** ” the last was clearly a very interested growl._

_“You know... I shaved my legs for this... oh, and I even put concealer over where I got shot.” Brooks whispered beside them._

_“Just smile and wave, Brooks.” Shepard reassured the woman._

Shane thumped a fist down on the console before the bank of monitors in agitation. _You're sleeping with that thing, aren't you sis? How can you? What's the thinking? He's... bone... and organic armor.... Does he even have the same parts where it counts? Is it plated like the rest of him? God, that's a horrible thought. Spikes, fangs, claws and sandpaper... Guess that's your thing, but it's disgusting as fuck. Wonder how you'd feel if you knew his race is the reason we never knew Dad_.

Grumbling to himself, Shane watched Brooks for a moment as she split off from the pair, telling them she was heading for the ventilation shaft. He had to chuckle at that. She was just loud enough that half the room would have heard her if not for the music rumbling through the place.

Frowning as the woman walked away from the pair, he realized that put him at a disadvantage. He would not be able to hear what they were talking about as they moved through the casino. It was an oversight on his part. One he meant to work around to the best of his ability.

As Brooks moved quickly toward the ventilation shaft, and the security room, Shane kept his primary focus on his sister and her pet turian. He saw her lips moving, clearly speaking to someone over a comm and wondered if he could hack into the frequencies. A shudder of disgust rippled through him when the commander stepped in close to the turian, sliding her hand around to the back of his neck. The spiky male leaned down and she clearly whispered something to him before planting an affectionate kiss on his mangled mandible.

The turian nodded and offered her his arm. Shane watched in disgust as she looped her own arm through it and they strutted up the stairs. The pair split off in separate directions from time to time, but rarely far from each other. Clearly they were mingling with the crowd, collecting information.

Shane rolled his eyes and let out a frustrated sigh when his sister started interacting with Murrain. That woman was the biggest goodie-two-shoes on the station. He wondered, would she really be missed if he just put a bullet between her eyes. Khan had thrown his support into her campaign only because he had thought he could manipulate her, buy her off to turn a blind eye to the arms dealing. _It wasn't gonna work anyway, Khan. She's got her own agenda_.

The door opened and closed softly behind him. Shane swiveled the chair around to get a better look at the woman standing in the shadows. He acknowledged her as he glanced back toward the monitors. “Maya.”

“Look... this plan of yours isn't working. There are too many innocent people here. Someone could get hurt.” Brooks said in that sultry voice she tried so hard to hide from his sister and her team.

“Don't go growing a conscience on me now, Maya. You know we need those Spectre codes.” Shane turned to glare at her again. “Those codes will make it possible to distribute weapons to our troops undetected.”

“But the civilians...” Brooks began and closed her mouth abruptly as her commander turned to glare at her again.

“Are cannon fodder.” he growled and remained in his seat. His voice rose to a near roar as he continued. “Or have you forgotten how important it is to _**control**_ _this fucking disaster that's eating away at our **human** colonies and virtually destroying Earth?_”

“No... I haven't.” she said softly as she gripped the doorknob behind her.

“Good.” he said quietly with a nod, eyes still locked to her. “Dad wouldn't be pleased if you fucked this up now.”

“The Illusive Man....” she began and he cut her off again.

“...knows we need to control those bastards destroying our colonies in order to put humanity first. There is _nothing_ more important than that, _'Brooks'_. Not those civilians out there, not your growing sensibilities, not even.... my twin and her precious pet crustacean.” Shane purred maliciously, throwing her assumed name at her as a slur. He pointed at the woman in question on the monitor. “My twin disappears and our 'sister' _here_ takes her place. Dad gets control of the Reapers and by doing so, gains the foothold in the galaxy that humanity needs. Everybody wins.”

“Except the aliens.” her voice had grown softer still.

“You say that like it's a bad thing.” Shane growled. He glanced back at her then. “Go on. Go play your part, but... make sure they don't get any information about the goods in the warehouse.”

Shane barely noticed the woman nod and step back out of the room. He had gone back to watching his twin moving around with the turian through the casino. It did not take Maya long to reach her destination and call his twin. The audio feed from her omni-tool came in loud and clear.

_“Commander, I'm upstairs by the grate leading to the shaft. But there's a problem. Can you meet me?” Brooks requested._

Watching his sister roll her shoulders, it took her only a moment to excuse herself from her current conversation and head slowly toward the bar. _Good girl, nice and inconspicuous... just like Finch and I taught you. Glad you didn't kill him, he's been a great second-in-command. Too bad you got his ass locked up though. It was hell getting him out of maximum security_.

Shane took note of the commander making a leisurely stop at the bar. The turian with her leaned against it conversing with the bartender. After a couple of minutes, they both stepped away, glasses in hand. No one seemed to notice as they sipped their drinks and headed toward the stairs. She leaned into the turian a couple of times on their way up and he could not be sure if they were chatting or simply acting the part. The smile on her face suggested the latter.

The camera feed cut off just as they passed around the bend toward that shaft. He was not too pressed by that idea, however. Maya's comm was still open and he could hear every word. He was glad now that he had added a filter to swamp background noise as the music carried through as a muffled rumble.

_“Ok, right. Just like we thought. There's an alarm on the grate.” Brooks stated nervously, slipping seamlessly back into character._

Shane had to give her credit, she was good at play-acting. She had played him well enough once to find her way into his bed. Clamping down on the burning rage the memory stirred up, he realized he was still more than a little bitter about that. _At least Chloe knows her place. Don't have to worry about her playing me. All she wants is power by association. I can live with that_.

_“We'll have to bypass it.” Shepard said in a matter of fact tone._

_“Dr. T'Soni gave me a set of resonance emitter lenses to pass to you. It should let you see security grids and wiring.” Brooks stated stiffly._

“What the _fuck_ are you playing at, Maya!” Shane snarled, slamming a hand down on the console when he realized exactly what it was that she had just give his twin.

“Looks like... she's play _you_.” the clone snickered from the corner of the room.

“Fuck off, brat! You're barely a _minute_ old.” Shane snapped and glared at the monitor, waiting for his twin to reappear in the frame.

_“Good. We'll follow the wiring to a junction box, splice it, and disable the alarm.” the commander stated._

_“Yeah, fingers crossed.” Brooks' voice was just a little too loud, too nervous._

“Told ya she was playing you.” the clone chuckled as the commander neared the junction box on the other side of the upper level bar. “You think she's considering switching sides?”

“She's not that stupid.” Shane said thoughtfully just as the camera feed went blank. “ _Fuck!_ ”

“You sure about that?” the clone purred sounding so much like his sister in that moment.

_“The splice is in.” came his sister's voice over Brooks' comm._

_“Good.” Brooks let out a near gasping sigh of relief. “I've got the grate open... and here we go. Act casual. This could take awhile.”_

Shane continued to grumble even as his twin reappeared on the camera. They headed toward the bar counter and took seats on the stools. The turian still had a drink in hand and took a long swallow of whatever the odd red liquid was. The commander waved down the bartender and ordered something. A moment later, the bartender set a stem of turquoise liquid before her.

“Easy on those Thessian Temples, sweet sister... They'll sneak up on you.” Shane chuckled as he realize what it was she was drinking.

_“Commander... the guard's still there at the base of the stairs.” Brooks whispered into the comm._

The commander glanced at her alien companion with an obvious sigh. He nodded to her, hand trailing across her shoulder as she passed by him. The turian remained at the bar while she made her way down the stairs.

Shane tried to contain his irritation at this new development. He had not expected them to split up like that. It made watching them both so much harder. At least until he realized the turian was just sitting there sipping at his drink.

“Alright... casual then. So that's how you're gonna play this, huh, my spiky, freaky, carnivorous friend. I can roll with that. You might prove useful yet.” Shane hummed to himself as he tapped a couple of keys and zoomed in on his sister at the base of the stairs.

Shepard had crossed her arms and chatted at the guard stationed there. She shifted her weight more to one foot and pointed toward the ladies' room. The guard glanced toward the room and looked back at her with a nod. He opened his omni-tool, clearly calling something in before heading toward the room purposefully.

_“You're clear, Brooks.” Shepard said calmly._

_“Thanks, Commander. I'll see if I can get to the panic room.” Brooks stated with a sigh of relief._

_“And I'll get back to blending in. Slow and steady. We'll get to Khan.” the commander's voice almost sounded bland._

“You're not supposed to be getting them into that panic room, Brooks. What the _fuck_ are you doing.” Shane growled very quietly into his comm.

“Ensuring none of these people die because of your recklessness.” Brooks growled softly through the comm at him. “You bring C-Sec down on us now and it's done.... you _know_ that! They will lock us both up. You... they might put _you_ in a mental institution.... or worse. And that clone...” a faintly disgusted laugh coursed over the frequency. “I can only imagine what they'll do to her.”

“I'm warning you... don't give them access to Khan.” Shane growled angrily.

_“Commander, I'm at the storage room grate. Time to hit the lock.” Brooks said several minutes later, her comm channel having switched to the one his twin was using._

_“Be careful, Brooks.” Shepard cautioned as she looked around._

“And that's as far as you go, bitch.” Shane growled as he got up from his seat. Snatching the guard's keycard, he stormed across the security office. He took the elevator tucked into the back of the room. It opened on the very grate the woman had mentioned.

Brooks turned and gasped, eyes growing wide as he stepped out of the elevator. She attempted to squeeze back into the ventilation shaft, but he rushed forward and slammed the grate closed. The squeal of metal carried through half the casino.

“Commander...” Brooks breathed, clearly about to warn the woman.

Shane glared at the Cerberus woman and grabbed her wrist, forcing her hand away from the implant near her ear. Face pinching in rage, he closed his eyes for a moment and tried to think. The blood rushing in his ears was filled with adrenaline. Opening his eyes again, he glanced back at the elevator as it closed behind him.

“You had one task... _just one_. And you failed... miserably, Maya.” Shane ground out as he screwed the silencer onto the muzzle of his pistol.

“She's been _using_ her Spectre codes! We're gathering valuable data! How is that a failure?” Maya snapped and then gasped the second his pistol rose up level with her forehead.

“Your services are no longer required.” Shane stated coldly before pulling the trigger.


	58. Tipping the Scales

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shane leaves Shepard and her team a few surprises in the panic room. He delights in toying with his twin behind a modulator.

“Was that really necessary?” the clone snapped as she stepped to the threshold of the elevator.

“We've got the program and the encryption codes. There's nothing else we need from Maya. She's served her purpose.” Shane ground out as he bent down and picked the dead woman up.

“She has now... idiot. A dead woman can't re-configure the hack if something goes wrong.” the clone growled at him with his sister's voice and attitude. Her eyes narrowed on him then as she glanced at the body in his arms. “What are you gonna do with that?”

“Well I can't leave her here. Security will find her and then all hell will break loose.” Shane growled and hefted the dead weight of Brooks up in his arms. He headed for the panic room door and nodded toward it.

“It's locked, Shane. What the hell do you expect me to do with it?” the clone snapped.

“This is why Dad left you on Minuteman Station. You know that, right? If you had half my twin's memories, you'd be dangerous.” Shane let out a frustrated sigh.

“ _Fuck you!_ ” the clone snarled.

“No... that's still incest, _sis_. Not happenin'.” Shane suppressed the snort of laughter that threatened to escape him. “Now unlock the door like I showed you, twit.”

“Do I have 'Shane's slave' tattooed on my forehead?” the clone growled and glared daggers at him.

Shane glared back at her angrily. _Fuck I missed this brand of arguing. Just wish this_ _ **thing**_ _really was my twin._ This kind of conflict had been like meat and potatoes to him once. Now, he realized it was grating on his nerves. “Careful, dear _sister_. I _can_ run this show myself, you know.”

“ _Try it!_ The whole damn galaxy knows 'Commander Shepard' is a _woman_.” she snapped at him, her eyes leveling on his face defiantly. “And you, my _sweet_ _brother._.. you're supposed to be dead anyway.” Stepping in a little closer to him, she pointed her finger into his face. “So don't fucking _push_ your luck!”

“Just get the door open. This sack of meat is getting heavy.... and I'm hungry.” he said as his stomach let out a loud rumbled. “How's a rare steak sound?”

“You're disgusting.” she turned back to the door and keyed the lock with her omni-tool.

“I can't help it. The smell of blood makes me want meat.” he chuckled as he pushed his way into the room with the body.

“I'm gonna be sick.” the clone gagged faintly.

“You know, if you really were my sister... you'd appreciate a good steak.” he huffed a faint laugh at the look of disgust on her face.

Shane carried Brooks toward the far side of the room and laid her out on the couch. He turned her head to face the wall and tossed her arm over her side. It looked natural enough to him. _If they get in here, they won't realize she's dead right away. Might not even notice her here at first, if we're lucky._

“What do we do if the program fails? She was the tech.” the clone actually asked a question he had been thinking about himself.

“I'll get Chloe to monitor the program.” Shane said as he stepped back from Brooks. He glanced over at Khan sitting with his back to them. Nodding, he decided that one looked natural enough as well.

“She's a _doctor_ , not a tech. How is she supposed to deal with it if the program collapses?” his 'sister' snarled.

“She's got more skills than you might think, sweet sister.” Shane huffed as he headed back out the door.

“I don't think skills in the bedroom count, Shane.” she shook her head at him as she squeezed passed him, heading for the elevator.

“There's more to Chloe than that, sis.” Shane grumbled as he stepped into the elevator beside her. He reached out hit the button for the upper level and glared down at the woman who looked so much like his twin.

“Oh, that's right...” she gave him the lopsided smile he remembered his twin always giving him just before she would sling some insult. “She's skilled at leading turian males around by their plated dicks.”

“That's enough.” Shane growled as the elevator opened on the security office. Stepping out, he glared back at the smaller woman in growing anger. “That's not who she is.”

“ _Right_... tell Sparatus about that... or maybe Vakarian. I hear he was her first option, but...” the woman hopped up on the crate next to the bank of monitors and crossed her ankles. “seems like your _real_ sister has a thing for sandpaper coated dick too. I don't get it. What's so fascinating about alien dick?”

“Ugh... _god_ , just shut the hell up already. I don't wanna hear how my twin is fucking that _thing_.” Shane snarled as he flopped down in the office chair before the bank of monitors again.

“Well, I think you should be concerned about it. They look pretty cozy out there running interference between the guards.” she kicked her crossed ankles and gave him an evil smile. “While I was digging around in the archives, I ran across a bonding contract with their names on it. Udina annulled it before it ever reached the Alliance board. Doubt she even knows he did it.”

Shane glared at his sister's clone, resentment bubbling up through his gut like lava. He blinked a few times, digesting what this woman had just told him. The anger was building. He could barely ignore the tingling of his boitics crackling up his arms.

Clenching his fists, Shane closed his eyes for a moment to get a grip on his temper. Swallowing hard against the roiling pit that was his stomach, he glanced back at her. His voice was a ragged whisper of rage and disbelief. “She _married_ that _turian?_ ”

“Well, she tried to. It might be legal in the eyes of the Hierarchy and the Council, but... it's not legal on Earth or as far as the Alliance is concerned. According to the Archives, the turian government still owes us reparation for some war fought over thirty years ago.”

“The First Contact War... Didn't you pay attention to the education tapes?” Shane snapped with a sigh of frustration.

“Ugh... it was boring. I had better things to do anyway.” the clone groaned.

“Like what?” Shane eyed her irritably.

“Like...” she said as she hopped down off the crate and walked behind him to lean over his shoulder. “Learning to walk and.... recognizing my own face.” she pointed at the monitor toward the woman that shared her face.

“Dammit... they're gonna get into the panic room.” Shane snarled as his eyes found the image his twin's clone was pointing to.

Flicking a series of switches, Shane queued the camera in the room just as the pair made it past the door lock. He managed to open an audio feed from the room as well through the comm. Glancing back at the clone, he wondered if she had really managed to wipe those data drives as well as he hoped she had.

_“Khan, I'm not here to threaten you. I just wanna talk.” Shepard said as she stopped before the man's desk._

_The turian at her side missed a step with a gasp as he walked past her. “Shepard... you need to see this.”_

_The commander tore her eyes away from the unmoving man behind the desk and glanced at the turian as he knelt beside the couch. With hands more gentle than most humans might think possible, the turian ran a hand over the woman's shoulder and rolled her toward them. Her arm slipped off her waist as her hand hit the floor at an awkward angle._

“Hmm... that's it, sis. Get a good look. If you play your cards right, your turian could be next.” Shane snickered.

“I'd rather put a bullet in her head. Less risk of the Council figuring out I'm not her.” the clone grumbled.

“You wanna stop that line of thinking... right the fuck _now_.” Shane grumbled.

_“Brooks...” Shepard breathed as she clearly saw the bullet hole in the woman's forehead._

_“Hasn't been dead long.” Garrus said quietly._

“Nope... still warm. If there'd been time... I might have had one last taste of that ass.” Shane laughed sadistically.

“Ugh... I'm starting to see why Udina covered up your real location and Alliance records. Saw a note attached to your dossier calling you the Butcher of Torfan. That true, dear brother? Did you slaughter a whole colony of batarians? Not that I'm complaining if you did, but... you know... jerking off and hosing the bodies down with your own DNA... that's pretty revolting.”

“ _That_... didn't happen... and you know it.” his fist thumped on the console and he snarled at her. He knew what she was doing. She was trying to get a rise out of him... and it was working.

_Shepard turned back angrily toward the man behind the desk. She barked his name and still received no response.“Hey! You know there's a dead woman on your couch?”_

_Garrus stood and tilted his head to the side slightly, his visor glowing as he clearly read the man's vitals. After a few seconds, he stepped over toward the still man and turned his chair around. The man's head fell forward limply._

_“And here I had this bad-cop routine all planned out.” the turian rubbed his arm with the other hand before crossing his arms. He took his weight more on one foot than the other as he glanced back at Shepard._

“How long do you think it'll take them to figure out the drives have been wiped?” the clone asked.

“About that long.” Shane said and pointed toward his twin as she swiveled the man's terminal toward her.

_“Dammit! The data drives have been wiped.” Shepard nearly punched the keys as she tried to find even a scrap of information._

_“The killer must have cleaned out everything.” Garrus hummed as he stepped in a little closer to the human._

_“Or maybe Brooks did it when she tripped that alarm.” Shepard sighed._

_“No, look. Whoever it was wiped it in a hurry.” Garrus said, pointing to a data cluster on the screen. "They missed... the comm.”_

“ _Fuuuuck!_ ” Shane raged and his eyes found those of his sister's clone. “I thought you said you wiped everything!”

“ _I did_ , dammit! How was I supposed to know that damn turian could trace data fragments through a comm?” the clone raged right back at him.

“I gotta throw 'em off the trail. That bastard's too good.” Shane snarled as he keyed a couple of codes.

“He was C-Sec. What did you expect?” the clone hissed at him.

_“Elijah... Come crawling back?” the voice purred over the comm of the scrambled screen above._

_“Guess again.” Shepard said irritably, crossing her arms._

_“I see you've recovered from flopping on the floor like a fish.” the unidentified person on the screen let out a nasty snicker._

_“You know... the last guy that talked shit to me... did it to my face...” she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “...and he was a few kilometers taller than you.”_

“Size doesn't matter... you have nothing. All you can do is wait for the hammer to fall.” Shane purred through the modulator. He watched his twin shift uncomfortable as she continued to glare up at the screen.

_“Whatever you're planning, it won't work.” she growled, sounding irritated._

“I'm gonna take everything you _have_ and _everything_ you _are._ ” Shane huffed a triumphant laugh at her frustration before he cut the connection.


	59. Hunting a Dress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard isn't thrilled at first by the obvious conspiracy going on between her bondmate and her crew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's a fun chapter. I blame Leezha.

“It's going to take EDI some time to crack the encryption on those data drives.” Liara stated as Shepard leaned on the table looking tired. “Perhaps we should at least try to enjoy some of our shore leave in the meantime.”

Shepard let out a sigh and nodded tiredly. “Maybe you're right. We have been chasing this shit too long.”

“Wide open spaces in public are probably not a good idea with that guy out there gunnin' for ya, Shepard.” Wrex grumbled.

Garrus waved his arms at the huge windows in the front of the apartment. “It.. uh... it doesn't get much more open than that.”

“I said _public_ , Garrus. Untwist your fringe for a minute.” Wrex gave him a wave and a grumbling laugh.

“I have no intention of allowing Shepard to become a target in an open space.” Liara stated and the commander did not miss the glance she cast at Garrus or the nod. “Natearus suggested that I meet at a little boutique on the other side of the Presidium.” her eyes drifted back toward Shepard then. “I thought you might join us, Commander.”

“I really don't think...” she began and caught a glimpse of the turian's mandibles flickering in barely controlled enthusiasm. With a sigh, she nodded. “Alright. I get it.... you guys have got something brewing between you... and I'm caught in the middle. Spill it.”  
“Shepard....” Garrus began clearly slipping from excited to concerned in a blink.

“Natearus thought you might enjoy a little shopping trip... for Lydera.” Liara said with a smile.

“Oh...” Shepard breathed softly and glanced between them again. Garrus had settled down considerably and the smile on Liara's face seemed sincere enough. “Alright... alright... I'll go, but..” and she held up a hand, pointing at EDI across the table. “I want that data ASAP.”

“Yes, Shepard.” EDI droned as Liara took her elbow nearly bubbling with excitement.

She frowned when Tali joined them. The frown turned to surprise when Jack followed. She had not even realized that Jack had made it to the apartment yet.

Moving through the crowd quickly, she was ushered into a car at the rapid transit console panel quickly. The ride was surprisingly short, barely more than ten minutes. The name of the boutique the others dragged her into was lost to her. Shepard did notice they ushered her in through a side door, however. She found herself in a dressing room of sorts. Nana was already there with Traynor and...

“Miranda... I thought you'd be with Ori.” Shepard said.

“I was, but... well... your 'psychotic biotic' called with some news and I thought I should be here.” Miranda said and glanced around the room.

“I've gone along with this so far, but it's clear this isn't a 'shopping spree' for Lydera.” Shepard eyed them all suspiciously. “What's going on?”

“Well, dear... you need a dress.” Nana stated with a smile as she folded her hands before her.

“For what... exactly, Nana?” Shepard's eyes narrowed on the asari.

“For your bonding ceremony.” Solana bubbled from the far doorway as she came through it carrying an armload of fabric.

“Oh... no, no-no.” she turned her glare on Liara. “I thought we agreed there would be a small reception party, Liara.”

“Oh, the bonding ceremony wasn't her idea.” Sol gave her a wide flare of her mandibles as she laid the fabric out on a lounger.

“Then who's...?” Shepard asked thoughtfully, glancing between the women.

“You really have to ask, dear?” Nana nearly purred.

“ _Garrus?_ ” the commander finally breathed his name in disbelief. It was the only idea that seemed to fit, especially considering his seeming excitement.

“My brother is a hopeless romantic.... and a nerd. In his hours and _hours_ of research, he found information on human bonding ceremonies. He said he felt bad that you and he hadn't gotten a chance to experience something like that when you bonded. So he...” Solana shrugged and looked to Nana.

“He mixed turian and human custom, dear. Since you're of two cultures, he thought it would be a good idea.” Nana explained.

“Alright... so why am I here...exactly?” Shepard let out a sigh and really looked at her surroundings.

“Because you need a wedding dress, silly.” Traynor stated with a huge smile.

“Ugh... god...” Shepard moaned under her breath and pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Oh, come on. This might actually be fun. I can't wait to embarrass the shit out of you.” Jack snarked.

“I can't talk any of you out of this, can I?” Shepard asked softly when she looked back up at them.

“I'm afraid not.” Liara smiled and handed her a cream colored dress.

“Fine...” Shepard sighed and held the dress up to look at it. It was very asari in style and not something she would considering wearing. Shaking her head, she handed it back off to the blue woman.

“Hey Shepard, what about this?” Jack asked holding up something small and lacy.

“Uh... no. That's lingerie, Jack.” the commander shook her head.

“Aw, _c'mon!_ Live a little. Spice things up.” Jack laughed as she twitched the teddy about.

“And give Garrus a heart attack before Shepard even makes it down the isle.” Tali laughed.

“He is kind of a stick in the mud, isn't he? Oh, but a turian in the sack,” Jack's eyes grew wide before closing as she bit her lip. She opened her eyes wide, looking around at the others and mouthed 'OH MY GOD'.

Shepard cringed at the giggles that surrounded her then. She let it roll over her, realizing this was their time to cut loose. If that meant she had to suffer a little humiliation, so be it. If she was really lucky, she might even find the fun in it all.

“Shepard! What about this dress?” Miranda asked as she pulled something slinky and red out of the pile.

As she held it up, Shepard raised one brow at it. The thing shimmered enough, but the dress was straight, formfitting and dipped down the front and back way too far. She thought the top looked like a couple of boot laces covered in lace.

“No.... Miranda, that is _sooo not_ my style..” Shepard breathed even as she fingered the material. It was nice, but the cut and the color threw her off on it.

There were other dresses as the hours passed. Sol brought something out that was covered in so many rhinestones that it seemed more crystal than fabric. When one of the sets cut her finger, she turned it down. It would have been a resounding no anyway.

Traynor giggled like a school girl when she pulled a very classically traditional dress from the pile. Shepard ran her hands down the train and could not picture herself in the thing. She could get tangled in that long mass of fabric. If there was cause for a firefight, she could end up tripping over it and busting her ass before she ever drew her pistol.

Finally, they reached the end of the pile. The novelty and fun seemed to be wearing off the women in the room with her. They seemed a little subdued that nothing they had picked had met with her approval. She felt bad about that, but some part of her wanted to do this right. Garrus had clearly gone to a lot of trouble to set this thing up. She had no doubt Nana and the others had helped since there were here, after all.

“Will you hurry it up and pick something, girl? We don't have all day.” Nana grumbled slightly as she plopped a bundle of fabric into her arms.

This was not the white or creams of the other dresses... or the crimson of the dress Miri had suggested. This dress was a fair match for the blue of her bondmate's clan markings. There was a light blue shear wrap that went with it. She fingered the material thoughtfully as she looked the dress over.

Nodding to herself, she held it up to the others. “I'll be right back.”

Shepard could hear the others talking as she slipped into the dressing room. Nana was snickering while the others complained. It was clear to them that the elder asari had a better grasp of her taste than they did.

It took a few minutes to wiggle into the dress. Strapless with a faint sheen to the sheer fabrics, it did not drop straight to the floor from her breasts, instead, it flared out slightly from just below them. It sort of fluttered to the floor, the satin beneath laying elegantly against her body.

Shepard smiled at her reflection when she draped the wrap over one shoulder and allowed the lighter blue sheer to lay against the cobalt. After a moment, she reached up and pulled the pins from her hair and let it fall in a soft curtain around her shoulders.

“Beautiful...” Liara breathed from the doorway just as the commander was turning around to present herself to the others.

“You think he'll like it?” Shepard asked self-consciously.

“I think he'll _love_ it.” Liara said, taking her hands before stepping back and allowing her to follow.

Breathless gasps hailed her return to the main room they all occupied. Other than that little black number, none of them had seen her in anything even remotely resembling 'frilly'. This dress was not something she could ever see herself wearing more than once, but it would be worth it to see the look on the turian's face.

“ _Spirits!_ You're _beautiful!_ No wonder my brother was smitten with you the first time he saw you.” Solana crooned as she carefully plucked at the dress. Her hands strayed to the wrap over Shepard's shoulder and she tugged it up over the bondmark, carefully draping it around her neck. “You should cover this... until after the ceremony. _Turian_ custom states this mark should come _after_ the union celebration. Of course, it almost never does, but that doesn't stop the traditionalists from complaining if they see it.”

“Your father's a traditionalist, isn't he?” Shepard asked after a moment.

“Hmm.. he is.” Solana hummed with a nod. “He knows, but...”

“Then I'll hide it.” Shepard said softly.

“That's the one, isn't it, dear? I knew it would be. Matches the color of your mate's clan markings.” Nana said smiling like the cat who ate the canary.

“I think it is.” Shepard nodded, trying to breathe through the sudden nerves and excitement that were swamping her senses.

Somehow this elaborate scheme made it all seem real. She realized now, as she turned and looked at herself in the mirror with her crew... her friends... surrounding her, that something had been missing. Letting out a half laugh, it struck her exactly what it was. She might be bonded to Garrus, but they had skipped one of the most important parts... the ceremony, the formalities, the family and friends. It was the confirmation of their bond, the celebratory shout to the world that they were one. That was what had been missing. _We're fixing that now, aren't we?_


	60. Pepperoni Planning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The volus is left holding the pizza. Or is he.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Added a missing line. Nothing major, but it does make another line make more senses...lol

Garrus was leaning on the railing looking down at the floor below when she made her way up the stairs. He seemed a little down as he planted his elbows on the railing and glanced at her. She frowned at that and walked over toward him, balancing the dress box on the banister beside her.

“To _borrow_ a phrase from Vega, _you looked smokin'_ in that dress, Shepard.” there was hunger in his voice when he spoke to her. The sigh that came after dissipated that hunger quickly. “You got some _looks_. So did I, though the ones directed at me said 'How did a turian like that get a girl like her'?” he leaned over his elbows, looking down and shook his head. “Hell if I know.”

“I don't care what they think.” Shepard said softly as she set the box down on the floor beside her. She reached over and cupped his unscarred mandible, encouraging him to look at her. “I love you. That's all that matters.”

“I... don't say it often enough... but...” he was dipping into that awkward stage she found so endearing as he raised up off the banister and faced her. His gaze was still locked on the floor. “I love... your hair... and I'm pretty damn partial to the rest of you too.”

Shepard huffed a laugh and raised up on her toes to kiss him then. “Smooth talker.”

Wrex was snickering behind her and she glanced over her shoulder at him as he stood at the top of the stairs. He nodded, but continued to snicker. “Didn't want me as your date, eh, Shepard. Too much krogan for you to handle? A lot of people have that problem.... most of them... are dead.”

Groaning at the krogan laughing as he tromped down the stairs, she shook her head. The smile flaring her bondmate's mandibles at least was a plus. He took the teasing good naturedly and it had the desired affect. Whatever slump he was sinking into was quickly evaporating.

“Sooo... is that...?” he began and waved a hand toward the box on the floor beside her.

“Uh-huh.” she purred at him as she gripped the front of his tunic.

“Care to model it? You know... so you can get an honest opinion... in private.” Garrus half growled as his face hovered just inches from her lips.

“Traditionally.... the groom isn't meant to see the bride in her dress until the day of the ceremony.” Shepard whispered.

“ _Damn.._.” the turian growled and nuzzled her nose with his own before pressing his mouth plates against her lips. He whispered against them then. “I had to hope...”

“You'll see it soon enough, lover.” she whispered back before running a hand across the back of his neck.

“Shepard, I have access to the information within the data drives.” EDI's voice interrupted them as the mech stopped within visual range on the lower level.

“Duty calls.” Shepard sighed as she stepped away from her bondmate. She made her way down the stairs, Garrus right on her heels. They followed the mech into the dinning room where the others were already standing around the table.

“The data's root structure has been erased.” EDI began.

Shepard cut her off with a sigh. “So what you're saying is... we have nothing.”

“That is not correct, Shepard. The logic integrity remains viable.” EDI stated.

“EDI's great at this stuff, Commander.” Joker enthused as he pulled up a hologram of the data block they had clearly been looking at. “We found an encrypted message from a few days ago.”

Garrus stepped over toward the keyboard before the holographic display nodding at Joker. The pilot stepped aside and the turian began tapping in commands. “Looks big. I'll have it cracked in another minute.”

“A whole minute? EDI here could shave that down to five seconds.” Joker snarked.

“Hmm... you're a riot.” Garrus grumbled, but his mandibles twitched in a barely controlled smile.

“EDI, you've lost your chance to show off.” Joker laughed.

“Well... it doesn't matter anyway. He's practically a legend in his field.” Traynor looked around at the rest. “You all are.”

“Legends can be good or bad. Which are we?” Shepard asked quietly, her eyes locked on her assistant.

“We-uh.. people look up to you. You're the kind of legends that people owe their lives to.” Traynor stammered.

“Then how come everyone's always _shooting_ at us?” Wrex grumbled.

“I think it's mostly you, Wrex.” Tali spoke up, there was an obvious laugh in her voice. “The bigger the target, the bigger the... uh target.”

Wrex glared at the quarian over that. He gestured at himself and cocked his head slightly to the side. “You're saying I've gained weight?”

“It just means there's more of the legend to love.” Liara tried to smooth it over.

Shepard covered her mouth in an effort to suppress the snicker trying to escape her at the look on his face. The krogan's eyes narrowed as he sneered at them. His upper lip twitched and she could have sworn he was trying not to smile. He shook his head and growled slightly. It was clearly a laugh low in his throat.

“The camaraderie, the friendship... that's your secret weapon. That's how you'll get the job done.” Traynor said as she eyed them all. It was clear the woman still did not feel as if she were part of the crew.

“Wait...” Garrus said, raising a hand as he glanced up from what he was doing. His tone was smooth, but Shepard had a fair idea of what was going on under that fringe. “ _job?_ You mean the rest of you are getting paid for this?”

“We have access to the data file.” EDI said, virtually saving the day. She scanned over the data for a moment before continuing. “It appears the mercenary group you encountered bought a large quantity of heavy artillery.”

The hologram changed to the image of an Atlas and Shepard watched as Garrus leaned forward, an almost surprised look raising his brow plates. His voice was slightly strained when he spoke. “What do they need with... _that_ kind of firepower?”

“The commander's Spectre code is currently in use.” Glyph popped up through the table.

“What?” Shepard asked in shock. “Where?”

“The Citadel Archives.” Glyph answered.

Garrus had already pulled up a map of the area. He looked up at Shepard, concern written all over his face. “The archives are going into emergency lockdown. It... looks like... the hacker is there now.”

“What do we know about the place?” Shepard asked him as she glared at the image standing just above the table.

“Council keeps sensitive historical information there.” Garrus said, pushing himself away from the keyboard and straightening. “Real hush-hush. Even my old C-Sec clearance never got me in.”

“Then we'll find our own way in. Gear up and lets – ” Shepard had turned and headed toward the stairs. She stopped when she nearly tripped over the pizza delivery guy. Glancing back at the others, she frowned. “What's... with the volus?”

“I got the munchies.” Vega said meekly as he bounced from foot to foot.

“Double pepperoni.” the volus said with the distinctive hiss of his respirator.

“It's a shame you can't bring everyone.” Traynor said quietly. “I really have to get back to the Normandy. Make sure those maintenance techs don't run off with my toothbrush.”

“Who says we can't?” Shepard asked as she glanced back at them. “All hands on deck for this one.”

“Hell yeah, but.. uh... who gets to take point with you?” Vega nodded.

Nearly half the room cleared their throats at that question. Shepard glanced at the volus as he followed suit and waved the pizza about. “Who's going to pay the bill?”

“You _owe_ me, Vega.” Shepard growled as she opened her omni-tool and sent the payment.

“Sure, but can I eat that before we leave?” Vega half laughed as he charged around the table to take the pizza.

“Whatever. Just make sure you're ready to go in ten.” Shepard sighed and started to head for the front of the apartment.

“So who's taking point, Shepard?” Wrex half growled, half laughed as if they did not already know.

“Do I really have to answer that?” Shepard smiled back at them. “C'mon, Garrus. Let's grab our gear.”

The turian gave the others a look and huffed a faint laugh as he practically bounced after her. She allowed him to go ahead of her as she smiled at the rest. Tali had her arms crossed with a semi irritated look on her face behind that mask. Wrex was trying hard not to bust out laughing and Vega was tearing into that pizza.

“Don't worry, the rest of you will get some shots in.” Shepard promised them all.


	61. Double Jeopardy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard and her team are ambushed as they reach the exterior offices leading to the Archives.

“What's the best way into the archives?” Shepard asked as Garrus drove the skycar through the heavy traffic around the Presidium.

“There's only one sure way in I know.” Garrus all but purred as he veered the car out of traffic and headed for a platform between a couple of buildings.

“Looks like you've been hanging out with Kasumi too long, Scars.” James laughed as he leaned over and looked out the window to his side.

Shepard suppressed a laugh at the flick of the turian's mandibles over that. As he brought the car down, he finally huffed a laugh. “How do you figure, Jimmy?”

“Well, you know. Her special brand of sneaky.... is kinda rubbing off.” Vega stammered.

“Better be careful, Garrus. Pretty soon, you'll be makin' friends with asari.” Wrex rumbled a laugh across the comm from the other car.

“I heard that.” Liara groused as car doors opened and the teams began to pour out.

“The Archives are below us, but there is no access point here.” EDI stated as she scanned the floor beneath their feet.

“How are we getting in....?” Shepard began, slowing to a stop as she saw Vega hand Garrus something the size of his forearm.

“You... uh... you might wanna step back.” Garrus said as he glanced around at their combined teams. He set the charge and darted back away from it, taking cover behind one of the cars.

Shepard huffed a faint laugh at that and followed him. “You're just a little crazy, you know that?”

“Hmm... but you love my brand of crazy.” the turian purred just as the charge went off.

“I _so_ do.” Shepard laughed and touched her forehead to his before stepping out of cover and heading toward the new hole in the floor.

“Krogan first! See you at the party, princesses.” Wrex laughed as he dropped into the hole first.

“How did you know this was here?” Shepard asked Garrus as they both dropped into the hole and followed the others toward the ladder at the end of the corridor

Garrus tapped his visor knowingly with a flare of his mandibles. “Just because my C-Sec clearance never got me in here, doesn't mean I didn't snoop at the schematics... or the layout from the air.”

Both teams made it down the ladder and poured into a large room, staying out of the open space. Shepard drew up to the door frame and froze the instant she saw several red dots appear on her breast plate. Glancing toward Liara on her left, she noticed the asari had a similar situation.

Rolling her eyes, the commander darted for the cover of a desk deeper in the room. “Not this again....”

“Ambush!” Wrex yelled as he charged a couple of gunmen across the room.

“Scatter and take cover!” Shepard ordered over the sudden gunfire.

“In the old days, we had at least five minutes before a mission went south.” Wrex groused.

“ _Dammit!_ She brought her entire crew with her. _Box them in!_ ” came a shout Shepard knew far too well.

“ _Shane..._ ” she growled to herself and popped her pistol's heat sync.

“ _Shit!_ They've got a krogan!” came a man's exasperated growl.

Shepard spotted the man and shot him in the face. She looked around the chaos that surround her and the team. Her blood froze when she did not see the distinctive shape of the turian's armor.

“That's enough!” came a yell from the walkway above. “Drop your weapons or this won't end well for him.”

“ _Garrus.._.” Shepard whispered in shock as she saw the muscular man roughly push the turian to his knees, a combat knife pressed against his throat. He dug it in just enough to draw a trickle of blue to indicate it was not an empty threat. The commander laid her gun on the floor with a show of empty hands. “ _Alright._ ”

The turian's hands were free and the man behind him, still cast in deep shadow, did not seem to notice or care. There was another, smaller figure waiting beside him. One of Garrus' gloves slipped to the floor between his knees quietly before he reached behind him and sank his talons into the man's caff.

With a strangled growl, he pushed Garrus off the edge roughly. The turian landed with a hard thump. The guns pointed at Shepard, prevented her from rushing to her bondmate's aid. He grunted and stumbled to his feet, staggering back toward her and the rest of the team.

“You alright?” Shepard's eyes were locked to his. When he nodded, she glanced back up toward the pair above them. “Whatever you think you're getting away with... you're dead wrong. We'll find you... no matter where you run. _I'll_ find you. You can't hide.”

A disgusted laugh carried down to them as the man stepped out of the shadows. “You've obviously mistaken me for a coward.... _dear sister_.”

“ _Shane._ ” Shepard growled, her eyes narrowing on her twin.

“Oh, I'm sorry... you're not _really_ my sister, though.... are you?” he glanced to his side, to the feminine figure just stepping out of the shadows beside him.

“I'm Commander Shepard. I never hide.” the woman growled and eyed them all angrily.

Shepard gave the woman a sideways look as her stomach nearly dropped to her feet. This woman was... her, but that simply was not possible. _What the hell is going on here..._.

“Uh-huh... so that's how it's gonna be.” Wrex grumbled softly behind her.

The woman claiming to be Shepard stepped forward and dropped down to their level. As she drew nearer, Shepard shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably. “Who are you?”

Shane dropped down and stepped up to the group as well. He did not seem to notice his bleeding leg. “You weren't the only Shepard Cerberus resurrected.”

“At least one of us will finally do something with the life we were given.” the woman glaring at her with her own eyes growled.

“Where did you come from?” Shepard demanded, ignoring her brother for the moment.

“I think that's pretty obvious. You both came from the same DNA.” Shane huffed a laugh as he waved his gun at her.

“A clone.” Wrex growled as understanding finally filtered in to some of those around her.

“Cerberus spared no expense resurrecting you. With me.” the clone stepped in closer and glared at her before leaning back a fraction. “I was created for spare parts, in case you needed another arm, or a heart, or a lung...”

“Where have you been this whole time?” Shepard could not resist asking the obvious question.

“In a coma....” the clone growled.

“Until I found her. While you were in a jail cell on Earth, I was teaching her to be human.” Shane purred as he rested a hand on the clone's shoulder and stopped her pacing.

“Amazing what a person can do with enough neural implants.” the clone growled as she rested a hand over his.

“Well... you're _not_ Commander Shepard. _I_ am. That role has already been filled.” Shepard snapped at her and took a threatening step forward.

“Why not give the understudy a turn?” Shane seemed to be enjoying this.

“I can't believe you'd go along with this. What happened to you?” Shepard locked eyes with her brother. “Did the Illusive Man send her... and you?”

“No.” the clone stepped in close and glared at her again.

“Then why try to kill us?” Garrus spoke up angrily at her back.

“I don't have your memories. 'Daddy' tossed me aside because he knew I could never fool my supposed... friends.” the clone spat at Shepard, virtually ignoring the rest.

“What are you talking about? My father died before I was born!” Shepard snapped at the woman before her who looked so much like herself.

“ _Mom.... lied!_ She ran from him before we were born. Thought he was indoctrinated.” Shane snarled as he stood his ground.

“Our father abandoned me when he had what he wanted.” the clone's snarl was filled with hate. “You. His pride and joy...”

“You're both crazy.” Shepard breathed, her eyes growing wider by the second.

“No. She's right about one thing... Dad brought you back... because he was proud of _you_... before you started _rutting_ with... _that._ ” Shane grumbled and finally pointed at Garrus with a sickened sneer. “I never should have put his dossier together. Should have let that turian bastard die on Omega... where he belonged.”

“The Illusive Man.... is _not_... our _father!_ ” Shepard yelled, the fact that her brother had just admitted to putting together the dossiers completely lost on her in that moment.

“Oh, but he _is_. DNA _proves_ it.” Shane gave her a snide laugh.

“I think I'm gonna be sick.” Shepard hissed softly.

“You realize you're all no better than deserters, don't you.” Shane all but purred as he paced behind the clone, his assault rifle held loosely

“The lot of you abandoned your duty to follow the cult of Shepard.” the clone had paced away from them before turning to face them again. Her eyes locked on the turian at Shepard's side. Her voice was cold when it came again. “Like you, Garrus Vakarian. You're nothing more than a burnt-out cop past his prime.”

“And you're just a pale _imitation_ of the _real_ thing.” he snarled at her viciously.

“You sure about that? You sure I'm not the real thing... perfected?” she growled back at him, spreading her arms. She pointed at the commander then. “I'm you without the wear and tear, Shepard. The doubts, the failures. I'm the lone wolf you were always _meant_ to be...” she locked eyes with Garrus then, almost seething with disgust and rage. “Without the emotional baggage holding me back.”

“No one will _ever_ believe you're Shepard.” Wrex growled at the woman in disgust.

“They will when I'm flying her ship.” the clone replied.

“Not happening...” Shepard snapped at her before touching the implant near her ear. “This is Shepard! Initiate Normandy lockdown! Transmitting codes now!” she tapped those codes into her omni-tool and sent them.

The clone was ready for it, however. Her own omni-tool was already open. She waved it in front of the commander, broadcasting a jamming signal from the squealing tone that was emitted by both tools.

“Good idea. Too bad the signal was blocked.” the clone said blandly as she tapped something into her omni-tool. A second later, she heightened the tone of her voice “Traynor, this is Shepard. Prep the Normandy for emergency departure. We're leaving. I'm sending the command codes now.”

“Acknowledged. We'll get underway.” Traynor responded.

“It'll be a cold day in hell before someone _steals my_ ship.” Shepard growled at the woman.

“It's not stealing if she's you.” Shane laughed.

“Execute them. The cult of Shepard ends today.” the clone growled at the men holding them at gunpoint before she turned and stormed off. “I have a ship to catch.”

Shane shrugged with a greasy smile as he started to turn away. “You heard the commander's orders.”

“You _bastard!_ ” Shepard breathed as her twin headed after the clone.

“That makes two of us.” Shane laughed.

Shepard eyed her gun lying on the floor thoughtfully for a count of five seconds. The second the mercs hesitated, she dropped and grabbed her pistol, aiming for the model of the Citadel above the retreating pair. She put several holes in it before one of the gunmen charged at her. The whole thing shattered, raining large chucks of debris down on Shane and the clone. Agile as she was, the clone pushed him out of the way and rolled with him. The room turned to chaos in a matter of heartbeats.


	62. Catchphrases

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard and her teams chase the clone and her twin through the Archives.

“We still got everyone?” Shepard shouted as she took cover behind a desk. She caught a glimpse of Garrus running toward another desk a little further ahead.

“We're on the balcony!” Liara shouted over the gunfire.

“Where's everyone else?” Shepard shouted as she shifted from one desk to the next in an effort to get a clear shot of the rapidly retreating pair on the other side of the room.

“Other side!” came Cortez' shouted reply and she glanced up to her left to see his team just across the room from Liara's.

“Havin' a little party up here with the baddies!” Vega called.

“These primitives are good sport!” Javik let out an evil sounding laugh.

“If we go down, we go down together!” Liara yelled between bursts of gunfire.

“One big happy kick-ass family!” Vega hooted.

“Alright everyone, Uncle Urdnot is back in town and he brought the boom!” Wrex shouted as he blasted one of the mercs with his shotgun.

“That you're new catchphrase, Wrex?” Shepard called out as she moved forward toward the doors that had close behind her brother.

“I thought I'd try it out, see what you think.” Wrex chuckled.

Shepard laughed in spite of the chaos and moved closer to that door. A merc stepped out from behind one column and she punched her biotically charged fist nearly through his armor with a yell. Power coursed through her at a peak she was unused to and it drove a shiver up her spine.

Another merc ran from the nearby krogan and he gave chase. “C'mere you little bastard! Uncle Wrex has got a surprise for ya...hahaha!”

The second that last man went down, her bondmate stepped out of cover, hand to his visor and scanned the entirety of the room. “We're clear! Now where'd the _other_ you go?”

“She's pushin' into the Archives! Stay in your groups!” Shepard ordered as she attempted to bypass the lock on the door. Failing, she glanced up at the turian making his way to her side.

Garrus gave her a flick of his mandibles in obvious amusement before stepping up to the door and running an obvious hack. The door hissed open in a matter of seconds. The turian waved a hand toward the corridor beyond.

“You know you're too damn good at that.” Shepard smiled at him.

“Never said I _couldn't_ get in here...” the turian purred as he followed her through the door.

“Just that your C-Sec codes couldn't get you in.” Shepard huffed a faint laugh.

“Riiight... I could have gotten in here... _if_ I needed to.” Garrus gave her a wicked little chuckle as they jogged down the corridor.

As they came into another large room, Shepard looked around for advantages. She finally started calling out orders to her teams as the layout of the room suggested. “Team Mako, you're on point!”

“We could really use a Mako right about now.” Liara groused over the comm.

“Or an Atlas....” Vega grumbled.

“Team Hammerhead, cover the flank!” Shepard called.

“Got it... and the Mako's got nothin' on the Hammerhead.” Cortez responded.

“I prefer the Mako.” Shepard grumbled.

“ _Really?_ It's a brick on hot butter, Commander.” Cortez' tone was incredulous.

“It's a _tank_ , Cortez, and I enjoy driving it.” Shepard huffed.

Garrus tsked at that, “Yeah, right off cliffs, up the sides of mountains, into lakes....”

“I like the thrill ride.” Shepard shrugged with a smile for her bondmate.

“Lava, Shepard...” his tone was bland, but it drew a laugh from her as she moved along the boundaries of the room.

The lava lakes of Therum came to mind. It had taken the turian three days to pry the melted tires off the Mako's axles after she had grazed the edges of those lakes. Apparently the Mako was not as indestructible as the Alliance would like most to believe.

“Nothing here, Commander.” Cortez stated over the comm after several minutes.

“I can confirm that.” Liara followed a few seconds later.

“Head to the next zone.” Shepard order as she jogged toward the door.

This one opened easily enough and they were faced with yet another corridor. The sign above the door proclaimed the area as 2 AR D42. The meaning of the obvious filing system was lost on her even as they entered the room. It was clear this next room was part of the main archives, however. There were desks here, clearly meant to maintain that filing system. That same system was labeled on a lit panel above the first desk as the rounded a corner.

“Tight quarters...” Garrus murmured at her side as he stepped around the first desk, rifle resting against his shoulder, and scanned the console with his omni-tool.

The VI within the Archives was droning on about business hours and restrictions as they moved on around the next corner. There was not much in this room besides office space, she realized. Nothing moved except a dust mote. She frowned at that.

Opening the next door, they were presented with the view of a huge room. Wrex stepped in close to the door frame and leaned against it for a minute, eyes roving over the faint blue glow before them.

“Huh... _big_ place.” the krogan grunted.

Shepard glanced back at her team and spared them a fond smile for a moment. _My boys. I've missed this combination of snark and brute force. The three of us always moved like a precision machine on the battlefield. Glad we caught Wrex here on the Citadel. Best damn team I think I've ever had_.

“Shepard, what do you think your _clone_ is looking for in here? Or you _crazy_ twin?” Tali's voice broke into her musing thoughts then.

“At this point, anything's possible.” Shepard sighed and stepped into the room. Her team followed her.

“So strolling along and bumping into yourself is highly likely here, Lola.” Vega snickered over the comm.

“I don't wanna talk about it.” Shepard grumbled and walked deeper into the room, eyes roaming across all the possible places someone could hide in there.

“Right.” Garrus growled a short distance away. He let out an exasperated breath near the end of his comment. “At least not till we've all had a.... _stiff_ drink.”

A frown knitted her brows together as she glanced over at her bondmate. She could only imagine how this must feel to him, how it must be affecting him. There certainly was nothing in any of their recruitment manuals to cover this kind of mess. She hoped it did not change the dynamics of their relationship. There really was no way to predict the strain it might have.

“You ok?” she finally asked as she took cover near him out of caution.

Those glacial blue eyes found hers and he blinked at her for a second before nodding. “I'm _fine_ , Shepard.”

“You know I'd never say those awful things about you.” she murmured even as she glanced around from cover to be sure they were clear to move.

“I know. She's not _you_.” the turian confirmed and briefly pressed his plated brow to her forehead before darting off deeper into the room.

“How are we gonna find anything in this place?” Wrex grumbled as they came to a set of stairs leading downward.

“Glyph.” Shepard called softly with a smile. She had suggested Liara bring the drone with them for this on a hunch.

“Yes, Commander?” the glowing orb asked as it popped up at eye level.

“Track the target. Give me updates on its location.” Shepard ordered.

“What is the nature of the target?” Glyph asked.

“She looks like me.” Shepard stated.

“Then I have _found_ the target.” Glyph stated, sounding proud of itself.

“ _No_ , Glyph. It's _another_ me. Now get going.” Shepard said in exasperation, rolling her eyes at the thing.

“At once, Commander.” Glyph said before taking off.

“You sure about that thing?” Wrex asked with a chuckle.

“Yes... no...” Shepard sighed and headed down the next set of stairs they came to. “Maybe...”

Spotting Liara's team across the way on another walkway, she glanced to her left and realized the Archives was a series of storage tubes. Anything could be stored inside. They looked nearly big enough to store a shuttle. It was almost daunting to consider what the clone might actually want here... or what her brother might want.

“There they are! The other Shepard's still alive!” came the shout of a merc as they moved up a couple more levels.

“Take her down! We need more time to find that vault!” her own voice shouted back from across the walkways.

Moving from one covered section of railing to the next, Shepard made her way around toward a lift. Glancing behind her, it was all she could not to laugh. Wrex was crawling along on his belly, his hump too big to duck low enough behind the railing. Garrus was practically crab-walking along. A shot pinged against the railing near her head and stifled the laugh before it could bubble out.

Peeking up, she scanned the room for obvious sources. On the far side of the room, near that lift she was headed for, was a lone merc. “Gotcha...” she murmured as she pulled her sniper rifle from her back and leveled it on the railing.

The merc spotted her too late. He aimed his pistol at her, about to fire. Her shot pierced his wrist and the gun dropped from his hand. Her next shot took him in his unprotected armpit. He followed his gun over the railing.

“Nice shot. Not a headshot, but...” Garrus drawled as he drew up beside her.

“Well... there's only one legendary sniper on my team.... and I'm looking at him.” Shepard gave him a smile as she stroked his ego just a little.

The turian's mandibles twitched as he ran a hand over the back of his neck. The commander chuckled as she realized he was literally preening when he did that. No one else seemed to be able to elicit that kind of response from him. She was sure it must be a turian courtship thing. Part of her hoped, that no matter how long they were together, he never stopped courting her. She certainly never planned to stop.

“Shepard, step onto that platform and we can lower you from here.” Tali stated over the comm as the commander drew nearer the platform in question.

The commander wasted no time in doing as the quarian had asked. Her team followed, cautiously scanning their surroundings for more trouble. The lift jolted and dropped gently to the next level below in a few seconds. A vault moved into place between the two huge brackets and the kinetic barrier dropped. She stated at it, looking the contents over.

“You think they can move us over to the other side in this thing?” Wrex asked as he stepped into the vault.

“Maybe.” Shepard breathed as she stepped into it herself. She called to Tali over the comm then. “Think you can do that?”

“It might be the only way to get you across to the other side of the archives.” Tali confirmed.

Shepard nodded and glanced at the display cases once more as her bondmate finally stepped into the tube with them. “Let's do this.”

“Check this out... This gun was part of the First Contact War. Year 2157.” Wrex said, sounding awestruck.

“First time _my_ people met _yours_ , Shepard. _Naturally_... bullets were involved.” Garrus drawled even as he was looking over another gun in one of the other displays.

The moment the tube stopped, the kinetic barriers dropped and Glyph popped in. “Commander, the other you is searching for something 200 meters ahead.”

“Got it.” Shepard nodded and headed off in the direction the drone had come from.

“Finding your own clone.... Pretty _crazy_... even by _our_ standards.” Garrus infused a snarky comment into the silence.

“But useful. If there is a task you don't wish to do, Commander, let the clone handle it instead.” Javik interjected.

“So... like a personal butler, no?” Vega asked with a quiet laugh in his voice.

“I don't wanna talk about it.” Shepard gave them an almost sing-song grumble.

“Right... so what's your clone doin'?” Wrex asked as they moved up a set of stairs.

“Wrex...” Shepard warned and was rewarded with a deep krogan laugh.

“We should probably talk about your brother. He seems a little... uh... unstable.” Liara stated.

“I _really_ don't wanna talk about that.” Shepard growled, the humor evaporating at the mention of Shane. “I'm just gonna kill him.”

They reached an empty slot for a tube and dropped down onto the top of the tube below, hoping for a shortcut. What they got were more mercs and the other Shepard screaming her head off at them. Wrex charged forward with a roar and bounded over a flange sticking up from the tube below.

“Uncle Urdnot has a present for you!” Wrex laughed as he rushed in and blasted the mercs closest to him with his shotgun.

“We're over here, Shepard! We'll hit them from this side!” came Liara's shout.

“ _Keep that bitch off my back or I'll have your heads!_ ” the clone practically screamed at her troops.

“Damn, I'd quit if she was _my_ commander.” Vega snapped.

As the moved along, the mercs dropped easily enough. It seemed too easy and Shepard was beginning to see the makings of a trap here. Shane's touch seemed to be all over this strategy. She continued moving forward, however. They had no choice.

“Shepard! They've got us pinned down! We could use some help!” came Tali's near frantic call over the comm.

“On our way!” Shepard called, vaulting over the railing back onto the walkway.

The second her feet hit the walkway, she took off at a run toward the sounds of gunfire. She heard the heavier footsteps of her team behind her following suit. Wrex caused tremors to pass through the walkway with his weight and flashes of the suspension bridge on Omega flew through her mind. Garrus going down with it and dangling over a deadly fall from a piece of metal. She pushed those images from her mind ruthlessly and continued running.

“We've got one of Shepard's teams surrounded.” came the shout of a merc up ahead.

“Eliminate them! I need more time!” came the clones enraged voice.

The second she spotted her team below, Shepard vaulted over the railing and dropped to the lower level with a grunt. She hit the floor hard, sinking into a deep crouch before stepping into a run toward them. Her biotics were already crackling over her skin and armor as she dodge shots on her way to the center of the room.

“Get down!” she shouted before she lost control of the energy welling up within her.

The instant her two teams dropped behind the crates, she let loose. The corona of biotic energy started small and expanded out from her in a flash as she was lifted from the floor. It swamped everything and everyone. The blast felt like a nova and was rightly named as it laid out the mercs too stupid to see what was coming.

Shepard dropped to the floor seconds later, on her knees, one hand bracing her up and drew her pistol to defend her team. In another heartbeat, she was back on her feet, Garrus' hand hauling her up.

“Go! I'll cover you!” she yelled as her teams scrambled toward the ladder to her right.


	63. Through the Archives

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the team passes through the Archives, Shepard wishes she had time to sift through the history of the place.

“Now they're just fighting dirty!” Garrus growled as a shot pinged the wall near him.

“This is Shepard! We need...” Shepard began and glanced up at the level above, the words cutting off abruptly at the combined teams lining up along the edge, guns drawn.

Instead of finishing that request, she ran for the ladder as her crew opened fire on the remaining mercs. She shot up the ladder quickly to the sound of gunfire. The moment she reached the top, silence ensued.

“That's why I love hangin' out with you guys. Why shoot somethin' once, when you can shoot it 46 more times.” the krogan let out a wicked laugh as he tossed his spent heat sync to Garrus.

The turian snatched the heat sync from the air and tucked into a pouch he had taken to wearing on his hip. He nodded to the krogan in appreciation as he offered Shepard a hand up to their level. She took it and he hauled her the rest of the way up.

“The... _other me_...can't be far. Keep up the pressure and we'll try to surround her.” Shepard said, looking from face to face. “Let's move.”

The teams split from each other, Shepard, Garrus and Wrex headed down the main corridor toward one of the archive holograms. The VI started chattering about the recording as they passed. The commander gave it a passing glance as the two turians interrogated the human.

“Not that long ago.” Wrex grumbled as he glanced at the hologram.

“Ancient history now. Shepard's changed the hierarchy's views of humanity.” Garrus rumbled softly.

“Shepard's a force for change. She's history in the making...” the krogan glanced back at her. “and we're just along for the ride.”

“I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.” Garrus murmured, eyes locked to hers, as they passed through the next door. He passed her for a moment then and headed down the corridor a short distance. “Can you imagine the history in this place? Must stretch back thousands of years.”

“I just wonder what the... other me is looking for in here.” Shepard grumbled as she caught up to him.

“Heh... maybe she's looking for your recipe for that stuff you humans call fudge.” Wrex laughed as they made their way to yet another holographic archive.

This one turned out to be an audio file of the beginning of the krogan rebellion. Wrex stared at the still image as they passed, but remained silent. Shepard could only guess what must be going through the old krogan's mind.

A yell and the pop of gunfire snapped her out of her reverie and she rolled for cover. She spotted the merc just down the ramp as he darted back into cover. She tossed out a shockwave and the man slammed against the wall with a loud crunch. A moment later, the VI started complaining about a malfunction. The commander was fairly certain her biotics discharge had disrupted the holographic matrix.

“This is Hammerhead! We've got enemies ahead, Shepard! We'll get their attention!” Cortez barked into her the comm the second she stepped out of cover and headed down that ramp.

Shepard rounded the next corner at the bottom of the ramp and blew the merc away that was loitering between the desks. He never saw them coming. Wrex took point and shot around her. Krogan moved fast in combat.

“Shit... there's the krogan! Someone kill him!” came a merc's shout an instant later.

“Someone can _try!_ ” Wrex' laugh was followed by the loud pop of his shotgun.

Shepard smiled at the krogan's confidence as she ran deeper into the room. The sound like rock punching through cardboard filled her ears the second she jerked and slammed against the wall between two desks. She slid down the wall and virtually crawled under the desk then. Gasping as she looked down at her shoulder. There was a small indentation in the edge of her chest plate. The slug was logged there and she let out a faint laugh.

Glancing up from her hidden location, she spotted Shane moving along the balcony above with a sniper rifle. She took note of the locations of her team then. Wrex was still bum-rushing the mercs on their level. Garrus was nearer to her. She saw the red dot of Shane's scope zero in on the turian's central brow plate.

Without a second thought, she bolted from cover and practically tackled her bondmate, throwing them both down behind another desk. The shot grazed her left arm right between vambrace and pauldron. It burned like hellfire, but that did not matter as Garrus shifted beneath her.

“Sniper up top.” she said quietly as he gave her a disgruntled look.

The expression on the turian's face dissolved into grateful relief an instant later. He shifted as she rolled to her knees and peered around the edge of the desk. She did not need to see him tap his visor or haul his own rifle off his back to know he was looking for the target.

“Must have slipped out through the ventilation duct.” Garrus grumbled as he lowered his rifle.

“Damn, he's better than I thought he was.” Shepard growled in anger.

“Your brother?” the turian asked, the look on his face said that he already knew the answer to that question.

“I'd rather not claim him.” she grumbled as they moved out of cover and tracked down Wrex.

The krogan was laughing evilly as he blasted mercs right and left. Shepard dashed for cover and threw out a singularity toward a small cluster of mercs, barely before her mind had registered they were there.

“This is almost unfair. Should we give them a chance?” Tali asked over the comm, her voice sounding almost gleeful.

“Nah... it's fair.” Vega commented.

“You're not the one doing all the heavy lifting.” Liara barked.

“You sure about that, Blue?” Vega laughed as a man went flying over the railing above.

“I really don't like that nickname.” Liara groused.

“Too bad, so sad... It fits you.” Vega laughed.

“You think all you comedians could start hitting something?” Shepard growled at them, but there was a laugh under her words and she knew they all heard it.

“Where's the fun in that?” Cortez asked, his words were followed by a peel of laughter.

“I think we got 'em all.” Wrex grumbled as silence fell over the room a few minutes later. “ _Dammit._.. I was just startin' to have some fun too.”

“Hammerhead and Mako, keep pushing ahead.” Shepard ordered as she continued to scan the room.

“On it.” Cortez stated.

The next holographic archive they came to was the termination of the last AI units on the Citadel. Shepard was not sure how she felt about that given her experience with both Legion and EDI. AI had their place in the galaxy, for a certainty. The trouble was, organics had a tendency to think destroying anything that challenged them was better than allowing it to find its own path. That was bound to be a challenging obstacle later on.

Working her way through the archive chambers, she wondered exactly when C-Sec, or whatever security the Council employed to safeguard the archives, might show up. The alarm was not loud, but it was definitely annoying. Shepard ignored the alarm and the VI droning on the background and continued moving toward the door she saw tucked between a couple of desks.

That door opened on a corridor that slanted downward to yet another door. The commander let out a sigh of frustration at that. She knew this place was big, but there had to be a limit to the space it occupied.

There were mercs in the next room as well. Wrex blew by her and blasted several with is shotgun, laughing maniacally as he went. _That krogan is having way too much fun,_ she mused to herself as she followed in his wake.

The next holographic archive was a representation of the attack on the Citadel. It was eloquently covered up for the general public. The second the VI recognized her Spectre status, however, it swapped out certain pieces of information and presented the true facts.

“Nice of them to cover it all up.” Garrus grumbled at her side.

“Explains why no one believed me the last few years.” Shepard agreed.

“Somebody stop these guys!” one of the mercs yelled.

“You know, if you said _please,_ we might accept your surrender.” Vega said in a nonchalant tone.

“Say _pretty please_ and maybe Wrex will take a break.” Tali laughed.

“Try it and we'll see!” Wrex bellowed just before blowing away another merc.

Glyph rolled up with a whole slew of irrelevant information and Shepard rolled her eyes in exasperation. “Where's the target, Glyph?”

“She is searching for a secret vault. She did not wish to be disturbed.” Glyph replied.

“What?” Shepard asked incredulously.

“I thought she was you.” Glyph stated simply.

“Go find her again!” Shepard growled at the drone.

“Stupid machine.” Javik all but snarled over the comm.

The drone darted off and Shepard followed it. There was only one sure way to find that clone. She knew the drone would locate her again and she meant to stay on the drone's trail. The drone led her to another door and down another sloping corridor. The room at the end was another small office and her team passed through it quickly.

The sounds of heavy weapons fire could be heard through the next door. This one opened slower than the others. The second it did, however, Wrex charged passed her into cover.

“Atlas on the walkway!” the krogan yelled, pointing toward the mech with his shotgun.

“Team Mako here. We're on it!” Liara's voice came across the comm accompanied by weapon's fire.

“Team Hammerhead here... providing moral support.” Cortez piped up.

The floor vibrated as the Atlas dropped to their level. Shepard tucked herself into cover and gave her bondmate a look that said she was absolutely tired of this. He flicked a mandible at her and nodded. The unspoken communication between them had grown exponentially in the last year.

“Engaging Shepard!” came the shout of the merc inside the Atlas.

“Put her in the ground!” the clone shouted back over the comm.

Shepard was not sure exactly who had hacked and patched them into the merc's comm frequency, but she silently thanked them. The information streaming across the airways was priceless. This woman could not more pose as her than to breathe under water. She was reckless, aggressive and easily angered. The clone did not have the patience that life's lessons had taught the real thing.

Peering around the shipping container, Shepard swapped her pistol out for the sniper rifle slung across her back. She locked eyes with her bondmate briefly behind the crate opposite her. He nodded and hauled his own rifle over his shoulder. She took careful aim at the canopy of the Atlas then and let out a breath. Counting three seconds, she zoomed the scope in on the pilot's head. The man was distracted, firing on the krogan closing in on him.

The second Shepard had a clear shot, she took it. Her shot was precise and the canopy cracked before the man's face. The slug sat there, embedded in the tiny hole it had created. The second shot came a split second later from her bondmate's rifle. His shot was true, proving that he deserved the claims of 'legendary sniper'. The bullet from his rifle shot through her slug and embedded itself in the pilot's head. The Atlas ceased moving as its pilot slumped forward.

“Try to help your friends, and you end up in a mech fight.” Garrus snarked a moment later, a laugh barely contained beneath the dual-tones of his voice. “You're welcome, team Mako!”


	64. I Should Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard is tired of chasing her brother and the clone. She's looking for a way to end this game of cat and mouse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this is a long chapter with some interesting twists. Hold onto your butts... hehe.

“The help is greatly appreciated, Garrus.” came Liara's voice a few seconds later.

Wrex fired a couple of shotgun rounds into the mech's power cells and it abruptly exploded. He laughed wickedly. “Love watchin' those things explode!”

Shepard ran up the stairs after the krogan the moment the coast was clear. Wrex had taken it upon himself to run as point-man. She could not argue his logic, however. He was the biggest member of her team. The commander relied shamelessly on his brute strength. He seemed to enjoy feeling useful too.

As they ran across the walkway above, Glyph came up to her once more. She suppressed the urge to let out a frustrated sight as she glared at the drone. Annoyed did not even begin to describe how she felt about that thing.

“Commander, a large contingent of soldiers calling themselves 'Razor Squad' is just ahead.” the drone informed her. “They wish to inflict bodily harm on you. Also, I discovered an elcor mating – ”

“ _Glyph!_ Stick to the mission.” Shepard growled at the drone as she continued moving along the platforms.

“I've got eyes on Shepard! Go, go, go!” came the yell of a merc not far away.

“You just knew... these guys couldn't make it easy.” Garrus grumbled as he scanned the area, taking cover behind a stack of crates.

“Uncle Urdnot has a present for you!” Wrex shouted from somewhere ahead.

Shepard chuckled at that even as she heard his shotgun popping. She realized the thing that tickled her so much about that phrase was the fact that she really could see him as an uncle. He might claim her as a sister, an honorary member of clan Urdnot, but she knew she would always see him as 'Uncle Wrex' from the mission on. It was going to stick and there was nothing he could do about it.

There were yells and gunfire ahead as she and Garrus made there way down the stairs to the level below. Those yells were the mercs attempting to get away from Wrex. She heard the vague screams of 'krogan'.

“Team Mako here. Showing team Hammerhead how it's done!” Vega laughed over the comm a moment later.

“Hammerhead here. You should rethink that statement. Copycats....” Cortez barked and followed it with another peel of laughter.

Shepard did not think she had heard the man laugh even once since he had been aboard the Normandy. The loss of his husband had nearly overwhelmed him. If he could laugh now, she knew there was hope for him.

“Mako here. If we were copying you, we wouldn't be hitting anything!” Liara countered with a chuckle.

“This is team Prothean. I have a higher body count than _all_ of you combined.” the Prothean ripped off an evil laugh that sent a chill up the commander's spine.

“You are positively terrifying, Javik.” Shepard half laughed through the comm. Another round of that buzzing laugh followed her statement.

“Attention enemy soldiers. Why do you persist in fighting?” even Glyph was getting in on this banter game the others had started. “The Alliance offers numerous benefits and a generous retirement package.”

“Now who's the dead one?” Wrex laughed after blowing the head clean off one merc.

“Razor Squad has arrived! Let's finish this!” came the shout of the squad leader near the exit below.

“Head's up! Looks like they're getting serious!” Cortez called through the comm.

“Oh yeah, Esteban? So maybe start hitting something for a change!” Vega called back.

“Biggest target I see around here is your mouth Mr. Vega!” Cortez laughed.

“I've fought volus bankers tougher than this!” Wrex laughed as he charged several mercs below. He headbutted one and blew a hole through another with his shotgun. “Krogan kill shot...hahaha!”

“ _Fuck!_ ” came an enraged scream from the last merc standing in the carnage below. The big man was in a serious rage as he turned and ran for the door.“ _Worthless bastards!_ ”

“ _Stop him!_ ” Shepard shouted as she yanked her sniper rifle over her shoulder and tried to get a bead on him. He made it through the door the second she squeezed the trigger. A coil of rage curled around her heart at the miss and hit the railing with an open palm. “ _Fuuuuck!_ ”

“Looks like we're clear.” Cortez stated calmly over the calm.

“ _Looks_ like... I saved everyone's ass again.... haha.” Wrex gloated.

Garrus put a hand on her shoulder wordlessly. When she looked up into his eyes, she knew he understood. The one that had slipped past them was her brother. Armored, face concealed and commander a squad, but still her twin. They were even now, he had attempted to kill her earlier and now she had made the same attempt. It felt wrong somehow.

Letting out a sigh, she nodded and called to the other teams. “Hammerhead and Mako, keep pushing ahead.”

“Acknowledged, Commander.” she got that confirmation in stereo from both teams.

Jogging down the stairs, she and her team headed for the door Shane had disappeared through. She hoped they caught up to him soon. This was getting way out of hand. At this point, it seemed he and her clone were equal parties in this whole mess.

“Commander... the _other_ you wishes to pass on a message.” Glyph zeroed in on her the moment they passed into another set of archive chambers.

_~Shepard, save yourself the trouble. Once I have what I came for, you won't matter anymore. No go, drone. Deliver it.~_ the clone's tone was bland, bordering on bored with just a hint of nasty tossed in.

“I... don't like the sounds of that, Shepard.” Garrus breathed as they made their way past several cubicles.

The commander glanced up at him and realized that analytical mind of his was chewing on the problem from every possible angle. “What do you think she's after?”

“Hmmm... only one thing she could be after....” he locked eyes with her and let out a sigh of resignation. “You're identity.”

Cold dread settled into the pit of her stomach at that realization. The clone could easily steal her identity. They were genetically identical, after all. Frowning, she blinked a couple of times before locking eyes with him again. “She's already got access to my Spectre codes....”

“Maybe.... that's not enough.” Garrus said thoughtfully.

“We have to stop her fast.” Shepard growled and stepped into a run through the cramped room.

Shepard ignored the next holographic archive they passed through. The VI stated it was the krogan genophage deployment. That was all she heard of it as she blew through room. She ignored the next archive as well regarding the first Spectre as the peppering sounds of flying bullets came to her ears. Fighting her way through this place was really getting old at this point.

“It appears the other commander has a bad temper. Collateral damage does not concern her.” Glyph stated the moment silence descended on the room again.

Stepping into a jog once more, Shepard and her team navigated the zig-zagging room crammed with desks. The next door did not open the moment she touched the panel. The second it did open, she stepped into the corridor leading upward. Pausing just before the door, she called to the other teams.

“Hammerhead, Mako, we're heading to the next level. What's your position?” there was no response. Shepard glanced back at her team with a worried frown. “Hammerhead, do you copy?”

When no answer came, Shepard looked to her team again. Wrex was sneering and she could only guess what was going through the old krogan's head. Garrus was frowning, brow-plates drawn down, mandibles pinched tightly to his face.

The turian let out a ragged sigh before stepping past her toward the door. “We better hurry. Sounds like the mercs have cut the comm link.”

Shepard nodded and jogged into the room the instant the door opened. The turian at her side tapped his visor, clearly scanning the room and gave a quick nod. Relief filled his voice when he spoke. “There's team Mako.”

“Hammerhead's gone on ahead. We'll try an clear a path.” Liara stated a moment later as the comm crackled back to life.

There were a couple of shield wielding mercs in this room. The krogan took one down and Shepard took the other. Several biotic blasts later and the man finally went down. She drew her pistol and fired into his corpse a couple of times just for good measure. Wrex let out a wicked laugh at that.

Frustration, anxiety and boiling anger that bordered on rage simmer just beneath her skin. She had had enough of this cat and mouse game. Her brother and that clone were about to get a double helping of what she was about to dish out.

“Where do you think you're going, princess?” Wrex bellowed an instant before he charged after a sword wielding Phantom.

The woman let out a scream as the krogan knocked her off her feet and stomped down on her head. The loud popping crunch echoed through the room as her skull virtually exploded under his massive foot.

“Looks clear.” Garrus nearly hissed at the sight even as he scanned the area with his visor.

“We see the clone, Shepard. Mako going in.” Tali's voice came over the comm as Shepard skirted around the mess Wrex had left in her path.

Shepard and her team reached the holographic archive that documented the discovery of the Citadel around the next corner. She would have liked to explore the archives, but now was not the time. _Maybe, when this is all over... if the Citadel is still in one piece_ , she promised herself.

“Team Mako. Coming up behind. What's your status?” Shepard asked as the next door gave way to another upward slanting corridor.

“We're under...” came Liara's voice through the scratch and sudden scramble of the comm.

“Mako, where are you?” Shepard demanded, the worry edging into her voice.

Nothing, no response and she pushed her team through the door before them. They dead ran through this room and she took note of the holographic archive that represented her ascent to Spectre status.

“Commander, do you copy?” came a scrambled voice she could barely make out.

“What's your status?” Shepard asked with a faint frown.

“The other you is jamming our radios. Hammerhead and Mako are trying to get ahead and cut her off.” there was so much scratch in the frequency that Shepard could not discern exactly who was updating her. “I'm caught in the middle... I've been hit and I need help. _Please._... hurry.”

“I'm on my way.” Shepard confirmed.

“Shepard, that doesn't....” Garrus began as they stopped before the next door.

“Could have been a surviving curator. If they're caught in the middle of this mess, they need our help.” Shepard overrode his concern and headed through the door.

_~Biometric idenfication requested.~_ the VI in the next corridor stated as a grid popped up and headed toward them. The instant it rolled over them, the VI confirmed her ID. _~Spectre access is authorized.~_

“Commander! Over here! Help me, please!” came the female voice from across the room.

“ _What._.. is _she_ doing here?” Garrus demanded the second the woman came into view.

“I dunno...” Shepard grumbled as she headed across the room toward the doctor.

Shepard did not notice the archive storage tube between her and Dr. Michel before she and her team stepped into it. They were stopped by the tube's kinetic barrier engaging the moment they were all on the platform. The doctor gave them a greasy smile as she got to her feet.

“That can't be good.” Garrus growled as he looked around at the barrier surrounding them.

“Is there an override here somewhere?” Wrex grumbled as he thumped from one side of the tube to the other.

“I'm not seeing one.” Garrus snapped, clearly scanning the tube with his visor.

“He said you'd fall for this rouse. I thought he was full of shit, but.... well... here you are.” Dr. Michel laughed.

“ _He?_ You mean Shane?” Shepard stormed toward the woman and drew up short of the barrier.

“Shane is so much more clever than I ever gave him credit for. A pity I didn't see before.” Michel laughed as she crossed her arms with a nasty smile. “I might have authorized Wilson to sabotage your resurrection sooner.”

“Excuse me?” Shepard growled, eyeing the woman now as if she were a bug that needed squashed immediately. “What did you just say?”

“I didn't stutter, Commander.” Chloe laughed as the blood drained from Shepard's face.

“Cortez, Vega! Do you read me? Is anyone on this frequency?” Shepard tapped the implant near her ear and called to her crew.

“The short answer is no, they're not.” the clone stepped through the door behind Chloe and crossed her arms.

Shepard turned and fired on the clone. She knew it was an irrational reaction, but her frustration level was climbing through the roof. When the turian's hand fell on her shoulder, she let out a ragged breath and lowered her pistol.

“That's not helping, ma-kee-sa.” Garrus purred softly.

“The longer answer involves your friends trapped in iridium vaults...” the clone stated and glanced toward the door as it opened again.

“Forgotten relics of a mistaken era.” Shane purred as he rested an arm across the clones shoulders.

“For... well... forever.” she smiled at them.

“Others know about this. About you. The Alliance will stop you.” Shepard growled at the trio before them.

“Oh... I don't think so. You see, as you're clone, she _is_ you. Well, genetically anyway.” Chloe laughed as she ran a hand affectionately down the clone's arm. She circled around behind the pair and leaned into Shane as he wrapped an arm around her. “You're brother here will confirm that you received a head injury. I treated you, but your memories.... well, the just didn't quite come back.”

“It's not a total loss. You might not have given Dad the Collector Base, but you did give him enough information and samples for us to wake _her_ up.” Shane said as he gently squeezed the clone. “You and your team weren't supposed to make it back. All those dossiers.... The salarian doctor, the Justicar, the turian... I'd say it was nice to finally have met you, Archangel, but... I despise turians.”

“Charmed.” Garrus growled as if simply wanted to tear the man apart with his bare hands.

“If I'd left _you_ out of the mix, _she_ might not have come back through the relay. That would have made this so much easier.” Shane ground out as he waved a hand at Garrus.

“They were all mistakes. Cerberus was a pro-human group that started looking to aliens for help.” Chloe groused, then looked toward the clone at her side. “That was the moment I realized the Illusive Man truly is indoctrinated.”

“Sad, but true.” Shane sighed with a nod. “I prefer the voices whispering in my head... to be my own, thank you very much. Sis here agreed when we woke her up.”

“Waking up to realized you exist only as spare parts has a nasty affect on a person.” the clone glared at Shepard.

“What was the point of all this?” Shepard asked, waving a hand at the area in general.

“I need your Spectre codes, sis.” Shane released the clone and stepped forward, glaring down at his sister.

“Fuck you..” Shepard snarled at the man before her.

“We can make this _easy_... or we can make it... _fatal_. You're choice.” Shane growled back at her.

“I'm a _Shepard!_ Clearly you've forgotten what that _means_.” she snapped at him.

“Nothing's ever easy...” he recited another of their litanies from the streets. His eyes locked to her almost pleadingly. “But this... _This_ _can be_. Just walk away. Let _her_ take your place. Disappear... and take your... uh... Just take _him_ with you. She can fool the others, but he's a problem. So is the krogan...”

“You see, _they_ can detect the difference in her scent. She doesn't smell exactly like you. You're chemistry has changed over the last year. Maybe because of _him_.” Chloe pointed an accusing finger at Garrus. “We can't be sure exactly what it is, but there _is_ a difference.”

“Apparently you didn't hear me the first time. So let me turn up the volume for you... _Fuck You!_ ” Shepard snapped at her twin even as she put a hand on her growling turian's arm.

Shane's expression shifted from pleading to outrage. He clamped his hand on the clone's shoulder before he disappeared back into the shadows. “It's your call, little one. Do whatever you want with her. We've got what we need. Just... clean up the surveillance footage this time.”

“Shane.... you understand what this means, don't you?” Shepard called out to the retreating figure of her brother. “Nobody who's betrayed us has ever survived it.”  
“And yet, oddly, they keep trying.” Garrus purred in obvious satisfaction.

Shane stopped near the door and glanced back. “I might be worried if.... you were really my sister.”

“Watch your back, soldier. I'll be comin' for you.” it was a cold snarl that left her lungs as she locked eyes with the man she shared blood with.

“I doubt that.” Shane shook his head with a sigh before turning to disappear through the door.

Shepard's eyes shifted toward the clone as the other woman moved toward the console beside the iridium pod. She glared at her and demanded, “What are you doing?”

“Setting things right. Remember this?” the clone said as she pulled up an archive file.

_~You are the first human Spectre, Commander. This is a great accomplishment for you and your entire species.~_ Tevos said.

“Except somewhere along the way, you forgot about your entire _species_.” the clone said in disgust as she turned to face her again. “You've saved more alien lives than you have human.”

“I don't care what species they are. _Every_ life counts, but maybe a clone wouldn't understand that.” Shepard said in exasperation. She could not understand how someone cut from the same DNA, from the same mold, could have such a different view of things.

The clone laughed in disgust and stepped toward the barrier, holding up her hand. “You know the one thing they can't duplicate? Our handprint. Life gives it it's shape, not DNA... which is a problem.” The woman turned back toward the console then. “Computer, update Council records. Subject; Shepard, human Spectre.”

_~Accessing record. Please input new data.~_ the computer stated pleasantly. The clone placed her hand on the pad and allowed it to scan. _~Biometric identifier updated. Good day, Commander Shepard.~_

“Now... if you'll excuse me. The Normandy needs its captain. So uh...” the clone stated as she turned to follow Shane. She turned to face them once more with a half smile on her face. “I should go.”


	65. Legends Never Die

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus is not overly thrilled at the prospects of his mate's clone leaving them to die in the vaults.

“Farewell, Commander, I guess... this is where _legends_ go to die.” Chloe drawled then laughed as she followed the clone out the door.

The tube suddenly shifted, staggering the three of them as it jolted into motion. It locked into the loading clamp and was lowered into a storage slot a moment later. Garrus heaved a heavy sigh of frustration the second the tube was seated in place.

“Refresh my memory. Didn't we... used to win these things in the old days?” Wrex asked cautiously.

“She said 'I should go'. Do I really sound like that?” Shepard asked as she leaned a hip against one of the display cases within the tube.

“Long as I've known you, yeah.” Wrex answered.

Garrus just gave her an exasperated look. He scratched the seam between two spines of his fringe and wondered why she was not taking this more seriously. Even her vitals were reflecting more calm than he was currently feeling himself.

“Crazy thought, but maybe we should be worrying about this impregnable vault we've been sealed inside _forever_.” Garrus glared at the other two, unable to wrap his head around why they were both so calm.

“How come nobody told me about this before? I'm open to feedback here.” Shepard stated, completely ignoring his concern.

“Well I thought all humans said it... like some weird _Earth_ custom or something.” Wrex said, eyes widening just a fraction.

“Probably not a lot of air in here either. An _hour_ if we're lucky.” Garrus said softly as he scanned the iridium vault for weaknesses with his visor.

“Maybe it's I should _go_. I _should_ go. _I_ should go...” Shepard tried different variations of her catchphrase on for size to the chagrin of her bondmate.

“ _Shepard,_ _please!_ _Why_ aren't you more worried about this?” Garrus finally exclaimed in complete exasperation now. He could not take her calm disregard for their current circumstances any longer.

“Hm?” she glanced at him with an innocent look. “Oh, Glyph, you still out there?”

“Yes, Commander.” the drone answered through her omni-tool.

“Unlock this damn thing and find the others. No one steals my ship. Not even me.” Shepard growled and gave her bondmate a satisfied smile.

Garrus braced himself against the display case his bondmate leaned on the second the locking clamps pinned their tube again. He was ready for the movement this time and barely swayed as the vault was brought back up to the level it had started on.

“Shouldn't we track them down, stop 'em before they get to the Normandy?” Wrex asked as he started to head for the door the clone and Shepard's twin had gone through.

“No. They've got a head start on us.” Shepard shook her head even as she touched the door's interface. “This lock has been overridden. We're not getting through here anyway.”

“So... back the way we came.” Garrus murmured and as the magnitude of the trek hit him, his eyes widened. “That's... uh... going to give them... a _bigger_ advantage, more time to... you know... _steal_ the Normandy.”

“Think you can get through this lock, lover?” Shepard asked, waving toward the door.

“Haven't met a lock I _couldn't_ crack.” the turian purred as he stretched his fingers before heading toward that door.

Ten minutes later he finally managed to crack that lock. The door slid open and they raced through the corridors. He realized, as they ran, that these halls must run the entire exterior of the Archives. Where a run through the facility itself might have taken them thirty minutes or more, this run shaved that time down to roughly fifteen. They ended up coming out where they had started.

Wrex gave Shepard a boost up to the hole they had blown in the floor above. The moment she up, the krogan nodded to him, locking his hands together at knee level. Garrus was not exactly sure how he felt about that. Glancing up at the hole, he realized it was just a little further up than he would be able to jump on his own. He might come close, but close was not enough to get a grip on the rim.

Finally, he relented with a sigh and a nod. He put his foot in the krogan's hands, bracing himself briefly on Wrex' shoulders. Craning his neck, he looked for the best place to catch hold of as Shepard watched from above.

“Ready?” Wrex asked in a deep rumble.

“Do it.” Garrus said without a second thought. There was no time for second guessing now.

The krogan heaved him upward as he flexed his leg, virtually springing upward. He caught the rim of the hole with a grunt. The instant he had a firm hold, Shepard was there, reaching for his other hand. He took hers and she hauled him up. The second he had his feet beneath him again, they both moved out of the way.

Wrex took a few steps back and ran toward the hole, jumping up with a roaring yell. He caught the edge of the hole and sneered as he pulled himself upward. Shepard and Garrus reached down, grabbing the krogan at the armpits and levered him up to their floor.

“Joker! We need a pickup!” Shepard called into her comm.

“Aye, Commander.” Joker replied quickly.

They say the car zipping toward them in a matter of minutes. The Normandy's pilot had not been far away. It landed quickly and opened as the man turned toward them. The others were already hurrying toward them.

“I've got room for Shepard plus two. And figure it out fast, because the _other_ Shepard is _stealing my ship!_ ” Joker stated, sounding less than pleased by the whole situation.

“Garrus, Wrex.... you're with me.” Shepard said as she turned back toward the car and hopped in beside Joker. “It's time we stopped that bitch.”

“Come on, Shepard. You know you like her... just a little.” Wrex laughed as he climbed into behind her.

“I... uh.... I'd be careful, Wrex.” Garrus warned quietly, climbing in the other side.

Shepard was looking to the others milling around beside the car. “What?”

“ _I_ was hoping to go.” Liara pouted.

“You are better off here.” Lilfrey grumbled as she headed for the car.

“What are you doing?” Shepard asked the turian woman the moment she stepped up toward the car.

“Coming with you. I will sit in the krogan's lap, if I must.” Lilfrey snapped as she climbed over Garrus and squeezed between him and Wrex.

“This is... a little tight.” Garrus complained.

“50,000 years later and I am still left behind.” Javik grumbled.

“Joker will come back for you. I promise.” Shepard said to the rest even as the pilot glared at her.

“Everybody in? Because... you know... I wouldn't wanna chop a hand or a foot off.” Joker asked as he closed the car down and lifted off.

“Not a lot of room back here.” Garrus grunted, attempting to get Lilfrey's hip crest out of his side.

“Stop whining, Praetor. Someone needs to have your backs since you and your mate both seem determined to get yourselves killed.” Lilfrey growled.

“I don't whine.” Garrus sulked.

“ _Praetor?_ When did _that_ happen, kid?” Wrex laughed.

“I'd rather not talk about it.” Garrus grumbled, squirming into the side of the car.

“This is why I hate shore leave. I swear, you park the ship for five minutes...” Joker groused, angling into traffic with a sigh.

“Can you contact Citadel Flight Control and get them to deny the departure request?” Shepard asked.

“Already tried that. All the comms in the area are jammed. Probably to make it easier for them to _steal my ship!_ ” Joker barked, his anxiety level clearly climbing through the roof.

“We'll stop them.” Shepard soothed the man, her eyes facing forward once more.

“Even if we _lose_ the Normandy, we can go to the Council and _prove_ you're the real Shepard.” Garrus leaned forward and said. He was certain there had to be a way to prove who she was.

“No.” Wrex sighed, turning his head and locking his eyes on Garrus. “She changed the logs to make her biometrics the official once. We can't prove anything.”

“Yes! That! Can we all just agree that it'd be easier to not let Shepard's evil clone steal the Normandy?” Joker snapped at them all.

“One way or another, we're taking this bitch down.” Shepard's voice was glacial cold as her eyes pinned the pilot to the spot.

“Damn right! You go kill the crap out of..ff.. you.” Joker said with a satisfied smile that turned sour at the end. His hands flew over the controls and he glanced at the console before him. “Ok, Citadel systems are targeting the car. Any closer and they open fire.”

The emergency release screamed and the car's canopy opened suddenly when Lilfrey leaned forward and jerked the lever. Her face was a mask of determination as she stood and braced a foot on the car's frame.

“What the hell are you doin'?” Joker snapped as he compensated for the sudden change in air pressure.

“Getting out. This is as good a place as any. We're near enough to the ship. We'll make it before the clone manages to reach escape velocity.” Lilfrey stated, stepping up on the car's frame and dropping to the walkway below.

“Hahaha... I like her. She's got a quad.” Wrex laughed and practically rolled out of the car.

“Take her back to Tuchunka with you.... _please_.” Garrus whispered before throwing his legs out of the car and dropping to the walkway below. He landed in a deep crouch, the jolt sending pain shooting up his right let.

“Get back and pick up the others ASAP.” Shepard called to the pilot the second her feet hit the deck.

“Right. They can't have gotten far... unless... they called a cab... or something.” Joker grumbled before closing down the canopy and taking off.

“Time to get this party started! I need to kill something!” Wrex laughed, taking off down the short stairs toward the loading dock.


	66. Brush Your Teeth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard and her team make it to the Normandy only to discover they've been locked out... and Traynor has been tossed out with only her toothbrush.

“Mercs up ahead!” Lilfrey yelled before vaulting over the railing and running right into the middle of them.

“Take cover!” Shepard shouted as she followed the turian and tucked herself behind a stack of shipping crates.

Wrex ran down the stairs, ignoring her orders, and laughed as he rammed a merc with a glowing transparent shield. _Typical krogan behavior, god, I missed this team_. Shepard knew there was a satisfied smile on her face as she leaned out and tossed a shockwave along the walkway. Instead of reining the feeling in, she allowed it to flourish. Let the mercs think she was bat-shit crazy. If it did not strike fear into their hearts, it might confuse them. Either way, she could work with it.

“ _Dammit!_ They're goin' for the ship!” came the yell of a merc the moment Wrex made it closer to the barrier between them and the Normandy.

“They're supposed to be dead! _What the fuck?_ The two of you couldn't _kill_ her? Must I do _everything myself?_ ” came Shane's raging scream from somewhere up ahead.

“You just knew... your _crazy_ brother... _had_ be out here somewhere.” Garrus drawled in an obvious effort to lighten the darkening mood.

Bullets peppered the crates between them and the Normandy the second they stepped out of cover to move forward. Shepard gasped as several shots grazed her already damaged armor. Her kinetic shields fizzled and went down in an instant.

“ _Dammit!_ ” she snarled, tucking herself deeper into cover and opening her omni-tool. “Not good...”

Garrus sniped a couple of targets, mandibles fluttering faintly before he glanced at her through his visor. His tone was concerned when he spoke. “Shepard?”

“No shields.” Shepard looked up at him, mouth open slightly and let out an ironic huff. “Capacitor's damaged. Looks like I'm wingin' it from here.”

“Crap...” Garrus growled and looked ahead of them for a moment. He raised his scope to his eye and a frustrated thrum rolled through his sub-harmonics. “Lil's too far ahead to shield you.”

“It's alright, Garrus. _If._.. I'm careful...” Shepard began and started to step out of cover to move to the next stack of crates.

“Hmm... you're never _that_ careful.” Garrus rumbled and was at her side in a heartbeat. “We move in tandem. I'll... shield you.”

“It's too much strain. You nearly wiped yourself out with that stunt back on Omega.” Shepard was shaking her head.

“Trust me...” he stressed the words, locking icy blue eyes to hers.

With a sigh of frustration, she finally nodded and the turian laced their fingers together. At his nod, they ran for the next level, closer still to the Normandy. They relied on Wrex and Lil to take out most of the mercs ahead of them. Those two where seriously tearing through the enemy at close range.

Shepard flinched with a gasp when a merc on jets popped up beside them, his gun trained on them. He fired and Garrus threw up his free hand. The shield bubble was small, barely the size of the shield Nyreen had erected on Omega, but it was effective. She dropped the merc with a single shot from her pistol before he could fire more rounds at them. Her eyes found those of her bondmate a moment later and she nodded. He was stronger than he had been when his secret had come out. She suspected being with another biotic must have catalyzed his own strength.

With him shielding her, she was free to toss out back-to-back skills and virtually clear the road. She spotted Shane just as he disappeared into the Normandy's airlock. Her eyes narrowed at that and she threw a shockwave at the remaining mercs before them.

Wrex was just ahead of them, roaring laughter and charging the last of the mercs before the stairs. He bum-rushed three guys with shields, knocking them completely off the walkway with screams that ended abruptly.

“That's... one solution.” Garrus snorted before dropping his shield. He glanced up toward their destination, eyes narrowing. “We need to move. The Normandy's about to take off.”

The could all hear the engines powering up even as Lilfrey ran for the ladder and dropped the twenty feet to the lower level. “Not without us, it doesn't!”

“When we wanna take off, there's a half hour of pre-flight checks.” Shepard growled as she slid down the ladder. “ _They_ just gun the engine and _go?_ ”

“Maybe we should skip the pre-flight _ourselves_ next time.” Garrus snarked as he dropped down beside her.

“I'm strongly considering it.” Shepard grumbled back and barely ducked behind a stack of crates at the ping of a gunshot.

Shepard's eyes widened when she saw Lilfrey running toward the cluster of mercs up ahead. The turian woman threw a shockwave at them before rushing in among them with her combat knife at the ready. The commander made it to them just as the last man fell beneath the turian's blade.

“You're something else with that thing.” Shepard commented, the turian wiping her blade on one of the dead men's pants.

“Top ranking hand-to-hand specialist in my field of training.” Lilfrey said casually and glared at Garrus when he cleared his throat. “One of them...”

“Hmm... remember that next time I hand you your ass.” Garrus huffed a laugh, following Shepard through the maze of walkways.

“Let's move, princesses!” Wrex yelled from up ahead.

“I didn't come this far just to watch the Normandy leave without us.” Shepard grumbled and picked up the pace.

Garrus hit the access panel on the docking door and glanced back. Shepard ran ahead, Wrex and Lilfrey hot on her heels. He brought up the rear. They all stopped, frozen, just inside when the saw Traynor glaring back at the airlock door.

“And I don't even....” the woman was muttering in exasperation before turning and noticing them. Her eyes widened when she saw Shepard. “Wait, what? You were just _on_ the Normandy. You... you _fired me!_ Dishonorable discharge for conduct unbecoming!” her voice had been steadily climbing through her tirade. She waved her toothbrush at them the moment she mentioned it. “You kicked me off the ship with _barely_ enough time to grab my toothbrush!”

“C'mon, Traynor, _think!_ I can't fire you without a disciplinary hearing. You _know_ that.” Shepard eyed the woman critically then and crossed her arms. “That ridiculously expensive toothbrush... you're still on your own.”

Traynor stared at her for a moment before glancing back at the door, which Garrus was investigating. “ _Someone_ just threw me off the ship. If it wasn't _you_... then who?”

“Shepard's got a clone. Makes sense when you think about it.” Wrex piped up from near that door as well.

The exterior airlock opened and the pair headed in, Garrus with his omni-tool open. Shepard nodded to Traynor when the woman looked back at her. “I can explain more later. For now... let's stop that bitch from taking _my_ ship!”

Garrus huffed an irritated sigh, his eyes locking to hers the moment she drew in close enough to see the access turn red. “It's sealed... and the engines are online. They're about to take off.”

“Is there anyone still on board who can help us?” Shepard turned toward Traynor hoping the other woman would confirm that there was.

“No... I was only there because I helped with the Normandy retrofits back on Earth. Everyone else is on shore leave.” Traynor shook her head and looked toward the door again.

“I'm not giving up now.” Shepard shook her head and growled, anger boiling through her veins.

“There is an emergency exit hatch... it's meant for evacuations.” Traynor said as she stepped past the commander toward a hatch that was flush with the floor.

Shepard knelt down beside the woman as Traynor yanked a panel up and exposed the hatch itself. She scanned it with her omni-tool. “Dammit! Manual lock... and it's only meant to be from the other side.” Glancing at her team, she frowned, realizing they were out of options. “Any ideas?”

“From this side?” Garrus spread his hands with a frustrated sigh. “A very precise mass effect field maybe?”

Traynor stood and paced for a few seconds. She turned back toward Shepard and held up her toothbrush, turning it on. The woman's eyes were locked to it sadly.

“ _That_... could work.” Garrus laughed, holding out his hand for the toothbrush. “I promise... I'll be as gentle with it as possible.”

The woman hesitated only a moment before handing it over with a frustrated sigh. “If it works – we'll call it a six thousand credit key.”

“Exactly.” Garrus snickered and knelt down beside the emergency hatch.

Shepard watched her bondmate wiggle the toothbrush into a small slot just above the lock. His omni-tool displayed a schematic of the the access. He threaded the thing in as deep as it would go. Before turning it on, he glanced up at her. “Here goes nothing.”

The toothbrush powered up, the mass effect field shining brightly through the opening it was seated in. the turian gently twisted the toothbrush, and for a moment, they all held their breath collectively as nothing happened. As Garrus twisted it a little more, the grind of metal carried softly to them. Several tense seconds later, a loud clang reverberated through the short corridor and the hatch popped open with a hiss.

Garrus gripped the hatch and threw it open. As an afterthought, he retrieved the toothbrush and handed it back to Traynor with a flick of his mandibles. “Thanks.”

Traynor looked ready to cry as she gasped at the look of the burned and twisted head of her expensive toothbrush. Instead, the woman simply tucked it into her pocket and nodded. She stood back as the team dropped into the small access.

Shepard crawled along the narrow access tunnel and glanced back at Garrus right behind her. “If you'd told me this morning that a toothbrush was going to save the Normandy, I'd have been... very skeptical.”


	67. Firefight in the CIC

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus knows his bondmate is not happy about the firefight in the CIC, but he just can't help the snark.

“Ma'am! Just before takeoff, Normandy registered a parameter access alert. One of the security hatches.” a helmeted merc stopped behind them and reported.

Shane glared back at him from the galaxy map beside his 'sister' and crossed his arms. His eyes found hers as she closed them and frowned. Rather he liked it or not, this was her show now. She had to step into his sister's shoes, convince the galaxy that she was the real deal. There was no other way to ensure humanity controlled the outcome of this shit-storm with the Reapers.

“Her.” the clone growled and turned to look at the man. “Where?”

“Unknown.” the soldier shrugged and glanced between the two of them. “When we shut down the AI, we disabled a lot of the security systems. Shepard could be anywhere on the ship.”

Shane smiled smugly when the clone stepped down from the map and got right in the soldier's face. She pointed a finger in his face, the anger on hers crystal clear. “ _Shepard_ is standing right in front of you. Are we clear?”

“Maybe... you should take her out yourself. I mean... you're idea of sealing them in that vault... went so well.” Shane purred as he came down the stairs to stand beside her.

“I didn't see your plan working out any better, dear brother.” the clone growled at him before heading into the elevator.

Shane watched the gears virtually grinding behind her eyes as she tossed out idea after idea. It did not matter that she was a clone, her mind still worked the same as his sister's always had. Given time and the right information, she might one day fill that hole his twin left in his heart she had turned her back on him.

“Armory. Find her! Slower her down!” the clone snapped at the soldier before them mere seconds before the elevator doors sealed.

_KIA, right. To a Shepard means nothing without a body, but I guess you forgot that, sis. Never even tried to find me after the Alliance fed you that line of shit. I was on Akuze, that much is true... even saw those damn thresher maws. Barely survived the attack, but I did survive. The Alliance left me for dead, abandoned me to my fate... and then they wondered why I took command of their rejects._

The Alliance left him for dead, claiming Toombs was the sole survivor. The man had flipped his shit a couple years later, took an entire facility hostage and then committed suicide. It was a fitting end, in Shane's opinion. The man was a sniveling coward.

*

Crawling through the tiny evacuation tunnel was not on his top ten favorite shore leave places to be. Garrus was just glad he was not overly claustrophobic. This might have been really bad, otherwise. Sensitive as his equilibrium was with the cybernetics that had replaced his right inner ear, he was acutely aware of the ship's movements when it withdrew from the dock and banked hard to exit Citadel airspace. He was sure the others did not notice it as much, if at all.

“Pretty sure we broke Traynor's toothbrush getting that hatch open. Remind me to reimburse her for that.” Shepard said, glancing back at him before continuing forward.

“I'll make a note of it.” Garrus snarked, his mandibles flaring in a smug smile.

“Little cramped in here.” Wrex grumbled.

Garrus glanced at the krogan and suppressed a laugh. He was hunkered down, his hump barely missing the grating above them. Looking up, the turian paid close attention to the readings from his visor. He knew exactly where they were. More importantly, he knew where they would come out; the CIC.

“What do they size this place for, keepers?” Garrus whispered in frustration, trying to ease the cramp in his lower back.

“Quiet! Can't risk them hearing us up top.” Shepard whispered harshly.

“Yeah, yeah... get off my tail.” Wrex grumbled back at her, but his voice was low.

“Sorry.” Garrus whispered, realizing even the tiniest noise really might put them at risk.

“Alright. Get a patrol going. Find Shepard. The real one.” they heard a soldier up top bark at someone.

“Hey, what did she mean by 'slow her down'? We're allowed to kill Shepard if we have to, right?” another soldier asked with a faint laugh.

“She said 'slow her down' because she thinks we're cannon fodder, you jackass.” the first snapped.

“Oh... well... shit. I don't think I like that idea.” the other stated as comprehension seemed to dawn for him.

Shepard continued to move toward the stairs and the hatch at the far end of the tunnel. The only consolation to the small space was its width. _At least I'm not crammed against Wrex or Lilfrey for this. It'd take weeks to get their scent off my plates otherwise_. Garrus was not keen on the idea of dealing with that kind of fallout. He knew his bondmate would think nothing of it even if she could detect it, but he would smell it. There was no doubt in his mind that it would interfere with their intimacy until it wore off.

The commander tapped in a sequence of codes the moment she reached the access hatch and it hissed open. The soldiers in front of it turned in shock, guns aimed at them in an instant.

“Watch out! They're here in the CIC!” one of them shouted.

Shooting out past Shepard to her right, Garrus aimed his omni-tool at the guard closest to himself. Trickling a flow of biotic energy into it just to ramp up the amps, he hit the man with an overload. The electrical surge arched from his arm into the soldier's suit and the man convulsed before dropping to his knees. The turian did not wait for him to recover. Instead, he took two long strides toward him and thrust his combat knife through his unprotected throat.

Lilfrey bolted out of the hatch to the left and he lost track of her between the crates the mercs had hauled aboard. He heard yells and screams from that side, however. The smile spreading his mandibles must have made him look the part of the human's slurs. He did not care. The more fear he struck into these men, he realized, the better their chances of taking back the Normandy.

“Hahaha... I always wanted to do this!” Wrex was laughing maniacally as he charged a couple of guys with shields. “And it's not even my _birthday!_ ”

“One of my favorite places to fight!” Garrus snickered and moved away from his latest kill.

“The CIC of a warship?” Shepard snarled at the two of them and threw a shockwave at a guy coming in to her left.

“Right there above the gardens and below the electronics shops!” Garrus laughed, taking cover behind the wrap-around console in the center of the room.

“And antique shops, as I recall!” Shepard let out a faint laugh and the turian knew she saw the irony in the situation then.

“But _only_ if they're classy.” he snarked and took a shot at one of the guys Wrex was pummeling.

“EDI, this is the _real_ Shepard. I need you to _lock down_ the Normandy. Can you help us out?” Shepard said the moment the last guy in the CIC went down under Wrex' pummeling fists. “EDI, do you copy?”

“Guess she's got problems of her own.” Garrus sighed as he headed for the elevator. “We should probably get to the cargo bay.”

“Why the cargo bay? Rebooting the AI core will allow EDI access to the Normandy's security systems.” Shepard frowned as she stepped toward the elevator behind him.

“The AI core will be full of mercs. We could damage something vital if we attempt to take them out there.” Garrus said calmly as he poked the button for the elevator.

“And there's.... an emergency access from the cargo bay straight up to the AI core.” Shepard said thoughtfully.

“Now you're getting it.” Garrus flared his mandibles in a smile at his bondmate. He knew she would make that connection quickly.

“I knew there was a reason I loved you.” Shepard purred at him. Barely a heartbeat after, her eyes widened and she took two strides away from him. Her expression hardened as she looked the contents of the crate beside the elevator over. “-Please send this animal to an animal shelter for proper disposal as a warship is not an appropriate-... Ooh-ho... that is _not_ ok! She messed with my hamster, guys. Now it's personal.”

No one made a sound. Even Lifrey remained silent as she checked the corridor leading to the war room for more mercs. Wrex simply shuffled his feet and seemed to find a crease in the deck plating of particular interest.

“Guys? Were you... gonna say something or... no, no. I get it. Hard to even find the words.” Shepard glanced at them all. “Should we check on my fish? 'Cause if she's gettin' rid of all the pets...”

“Shepard...” Garrus huffed a half laugh at that. He knew there was no way in the seventh level of hell she could keep a fish alive. The fish Chambers had sent back to the Normandy were officially his pets. That particular irony was not lost on him either.

“Right... we should probably deal with _her_ first, huh?” Shepard nodded with a sigh. “Alright. Sit tight, little guy. Anybody gives you trouble... go for the eyes.”

Stepping into the elevator, Garrus looked down at his bondmate and noted the frown on her face. “You wanna talk about it?”

“I wanna rip out her liver.” Shepard growled.

“You gonna eat that when you're done?” Wrex laughed.

“See... _normally_... I'd say just do what you need to do, but... I'd rather shoot her.” Garrus grumbled and checked the thermal clip in his pistol.

“Wow, no love lost there, huh?” Wrex asked, eyes wide at the turian's suggestion.

“She's _not_ my mate. _Shepard_ is... and _she's_ standing right _here_.” Garrus said, putting a hand on his bondmate's shoulder.

“Scent markers... good thing the clone doesn't know about those... or that crazy brother of yours.” Wrex stated with a nod and looked to Shepard.

“I don't wanna talk about Shane. I plan to kill him.” Shepard growled.

“ _So_... am _I_ the only one who misses the talks we used to have in elevators back on the Citadel?” Garrus drawled in an effort to change the subject.

“Yup, because you're a nosy little bastard, kid.” Wrex laughed.

“So disappointed.” Garrus breathed and laughed as the door finally opened.


	68. Own It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Defeating the clone takes a heavy toll on Garrus. Shepard intends to make sure he realizes his choice was the right one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look... 2 chapters in 1 day. That doesn't happen often.

Shepard took point and raised her pistol as she crept out into the cargo bay. The kodiak was parked in the bay, but not in its usual position. Most of the crew had been aboard when they all had headed to the Silversun Strip for shore leave. She wondered how these idiots had managed to retrieve it. Looking around, she realized there were far too many places to hide in here. The mercs were not traveling light. Most of the open space was filled with crates of every size.

The moment the clone stepped out from behind one toting a pistol, Shepard narrowed her eyes. The woman was sporting her spare N7 armor. The word rolled off her lips like a curse when she saw it. “Unacceptable.”

Shots were fired between them as she ducked into cover. She was ready to tear that clone apart with her bare hands for the trouble she was causing. _Once I'm done with you, I'll take Shane apart too_.

“You wanna stop shooting up my ship?” the clone growled.

“It's not _your_ ship.” Shepard snapped back.

“It will be. I've taken your name, your Spectre rank, even your fingerprints!” the clone stated coldly.

“And then you left me to die... only I didn't. You think fake fingerprints are gonna fool the Council? Or Hackett?” Shepard snapped, moving between the crates looking for her clone. “How's that big plan lookin' now?”

“Shepard!” came her bondmate's yell of warning.

Shepard glanced back a split second before the clone's omni-blade cleaved her in two. Quick reflexes, that was the only thing that saved her in that moment. She whipped her own omni-blade out and met the other woman head on, deflecting the potentially fatal blow. The blades sparked and sizzled against each other. Both snapped an instant apart as their omni-tools virtually shorted out. She threw the clone backward, using the small blast to add momentum to her thrust.

“Hatchet squad to the shuttle bay!” Shane yelled even as the clone darted away and ducked behind a cluster of crates. His gun leveled on her team while he held a biotic sphere barely contained in his other hand pointed at her. “Let's just let them play out their little drama.... shall we?”

“I'll reach down your throat and rip your black heart out if you hurt them, Shane!” Shepard growled at her twin and charged toward him.

“I don't think so.” Shane huffed and pressed his gun against Garrus' central brow-plate. He jutted his chin at her, his next words soft. “Tag, sis. You're it.”

“Hurt him and I promise you... you won't live to see another sunrise.” Shepard said coldly, but she had stopped in her tracks.

“Really?” he purred and dragged the pistol off the turian's brow-plate. He pulled the trigger the second it reached the level of his right thigh. Garrus let out a hiss and a grunt of pain even as Shane planted the barrel of the pistol against his brow-plate once more. “ _Now go dance with the fucking clone!_ ”

Shepard's eyes widened as she helplessly watched Garrus clamp his hands around his bleeding thigh. It was a graze. That was what she kept telling herself. She had not seen blood begin pooling around the leg. No arterial damage, she knew that for sure. All species seemed to have a similar circulatory system with veins and arteries in key locations.

When she did not move, her brother cocked his gun against the turian's head. His finger twitching against the trigger. He really meant to do it, she realized. Letting out an outraged sigh, she nodded to herself. It was the only way to keep her bondmate alive.

“Fine! But I'm coming back for _you_ when this is finished, you _bastard!_ ” Shepard raged at him before turning and jogging toward the crates.

“You know, she's gonna eat your liver, right?” Wrex laughed at her brother.

Shepard heard the crack of metal on hard plating an instant later accompanied by Wrex' grunt. _The bastard is pistol whipping my team. This has to end. It will end. I'll throw them both out the shuttle bay hatch the second we're in space. I'll do it myself... gladly._

Straining her ears to hear any trace of moment beyond, Shepard slipped in behind a stack of crates. She was certain her clone was hiding behind that stack, she could hear the scuff of a boot beyond.

“Commander, the Normandy's prepping for a jump to FTL.” Cortez' voice broke over her comm a second before she stepped around those crates.

“Can you get to the cockpit? Like soon?” Joker asked sounding stressed.

“Negative. I'm occupied in the shuttle bay!” Shepard barked, stepping around that stack of crates.

“Roger that, Commander. We'll proceed with Plan B.” Cortez confirmed.

“Plan B? The hell is Plan B?” Joker snapped.

Shepard grunted and landed on her ass when the clone threw a drone at her. She fired at the woman, but she had already slipped behind another series of crates. _Drones... they must have trained her as a tech. That's almost funny as hell. How do they expect her to impersonate me if she's not even sporting the same skill sets?_

“Shepard, this is Vega. Do you copy? Over!” Vega cut in as she climbed back to her feet.

“Shepard here, Vega. You cut through the jamming?” she asked, pressing herself against another stack of crates.

Before Vega replied, she heard the commotion behind her between her brother and her team. From the sounds of things, Wrex had reached his boiling point after that smack to the face. She knew it had to be his face, it was the only flesh he had exposed. There was a roar, a couple of gunshots and a heavy thump. Her heart sank at the realization of what that might have been.

“We did. It was heavily defended, but we got through and disabled their tech with Lilfrey's help.” Liara stated over the comm.

“I wondered where she went.” Shepard said softly.

“She hacked the comm systems in the war room.” Vega said proudly.

Stepping around the next set of crates, she brought her pistol up level with the clone's chest and fired without a second thought. The woman grunted, falling back and virtually crawled between two more crates, sending a biotic blast at her legs. The commander barely maintained her footing in the wake of the shockwave.

Before she could chase the other down, she heard Wrex let out a maniacal laugh and breathed a sigh of relief. He was alive and that most likely meant her bondmate was as well. Her brother had lost control of them. A second later, she understood why. Lilfrey's yell carried to her ears the instant the turian woman ran across the shuttle bay after Shane.

“Arg. Again with the pancreas!” Joker grumbled.

“I'm overriding the skycar's safeties, Commander. I'll obstruct the Normandy's path, try to get their attention.” Cortez stated.

“What? We're bait? Plan B stands for bait?” Joker sounded outraged.

“We need backup!” Shane yelled from somewhere off to her right.

“Someone kill him, please!” Shepard barked and ran between two stacks. She spotted Garrus limping around the stack to her far right, a cobalt soaked rag tied around his right thigh.

“Take her, Shepard!” Wrex shouted the second she stepped around the next set of crates. The krogan had her clone pinned against him, his arms hooked under her arms. It was clear he was struggling to hold onto her.

“You should have died at that damn sushi place!” the clone ground out as she struggled against the krogan's grip.

“Guess what... I didn't.” Shepard growled and grasped the dark energy that governed her biotics. She slammed a glowing fist into the clone's middle.

Wrex staggered backward a couple of steps with that punch, his grip on the clone slipping a fraction. The woman threw her head back and nailed him in the face hard enough to cause him to blink. He lost his grip on her and she dove at Shepard.

“Moving in, Commander.” Cortez said quickly over the comm.

The clone pinned Shepard, her knees on the commander's elbows, gun in her face as she tapped the implant near her ear. “What the hell's goin' on up there? Get us out of the nebular and jump to FTL!”

“We can't. A skycar keeps blockin' our path!” the current pilot grumbled over the joined comm.

“Then shoot it.” the clone said coldly pressing her pistol against the commander's forehead.

Shepard glared at her even as she heard the Normandy's guns discharging. “How many people are you murdering? How many buildings are collapsing under the Normandy's guns? Do you think the Alliance is really gonna accept the idea that you're _me_ after _this?_ ”

“I don't really care what they think. Once you're gone, there will only be me.” the clone growled. She tapped her ear again as the ship banked. “Dammit! Launch the shuttle and blow that thing out of the sky!”

The shuttle bay door opening sent a tremor through the deck and the clone lost her footing for a split second. Shepard took advantage of the lapse and bucked under her. She rolled away from the clone the second she was free. Scrambling to her feet, she dashed toward the woman intending to end her right then and there.

Garrus stepped out from between two stacks of crates an instant before he smacked the clone in the head with the butt of his gun. His warning yell was almost lost in the noise from the open shuttle bay door. “Watch out! That door's still open!”

Climbing to her feet, the clone wiped blood from her nose with her forearm. Her voice was a ragged growl as she charged toward Shepard. “ _I_ am Commander Shepard!”

“Are you kidding me?” Shepard growled back and caught the woman's hands in a vice-like grip. “You're nothing but one more mercenary thug!”

“You ruined everything! My plan was perfect!” Shane yelled from somewhere near the hatch.

“Except the part where you're losing.” Wrex laughed and tackled her brother.

Shepard struggled with the clone another couple of minutes. The woman kicked her in the gut and drew her pistol. The commander grabbed for her wrist and was shoved back brutally.

“I haven't taken _everything_ yet...” the clone growled and aimed at Garrus, pulling the trigger before Shepard could stop her.

The turian was running toward them and went down with a grunt, skidding across the deck to a stop on his side just a few feet away. He was not moving and she did not have time to make sure he was still alive.

“That's everything.” the clone said coldly.

“ _NO!_ ” Shepard screamed and ran at the clone, beating her with anything that came to hand. She knew she could not help her bondmate so long as this bitch was still standing.

They were dangerously close to the open hatch now. She did not care. If her bondmate was dead, she would gladly murder this bitch with her last breath. She threw everything she had into the fight. Biotics, punches, combos she made up on a moment's notice... she hammered the clone with all of it. Her nose was bleeding and her amp sizzling, but she no longer cared about the toll it took on her. This fight was all or nothing and they both knew it.

“My team is just as good as yours!” the clone snarled in her face.

“Your team doesn't trust you. You got nothin' without their trust!” Shepard snapped and punched her in the face.

The clone staggered away from her. Shepard no longer cared what happened to her. She ran at the clone, tackling her. They both hit the deck hard and rolled down the ramp. The commander gained the upper hand and stopped their roll with one foot, straddling the other woman. She punched her in the face relentlessly.

“This is for my _ship!_ ” she punched her once. “This is for my _team!_ ” her voice was edged with glacial ice when she punctuated her next punch. “And this is for my _husband_ , you bitch!”

“He's _not_ your husband...” the clone gave her a twisted smile and planted a foot in her sternum. She kicked her across the ramp.

A shuttle flew by too close causing a fair amount of turbulence as the clone stood. She fell and Shepard rolled toward the edge of the ramp. Both went over, managing to hook their elbows over the lip of that ramp and hold on.

“Look at you. What makes you so damn special?” the clone growled as they both struggled to pull themselves up. “Why you and not me?”

“Shepard!” Garrus shouted, half limping and half running across the ramp.

“Hang on!” Wrex called from the top of the ramp, bending a loose section of railing around Shane before following the turian.

“We got you!” Garrus grunted as he threw himself across the ramp, Wrex barely catching hold of his leg to prevent him from going over with her.

Shepard suppressed the sob of relief, grabbing her bondmate's outstretched hand. The second he got a grip on her, he inched forward and wrapped his arms around her beneath her arms. She grabbed the rear rim of his armored cowl as he dragged her up. He used Wrex' grip as leverage to forcibly roll them both up and away from the edge of the ramp. She clung to him for a few seconds before climbing to her feet and helping him to stand.

“What about this pyjak?” Wrex growled as he drew their attention back to the struggling clone.

“You can't _do_ this, guys! _Garrus! Please! She's_ the clone!” the woman still hanging off the ramp said raggedly.

Garrus knelt down before her and leaned in close, his nose plates twitching as he 'tasted' her scent. His dual-toned voice was cold, unfeeling when he spoke. “You're not my mate.”

“You sure about that?” the woman gasped and struggled not to lose her grip.

“Turian scent markers carry _powerful_ pheromones. _My_ scent is all over _her._ ” He glanced back toward the commander then. Eyes narrowed and pupils slightly dilated before he looked back to her. He reached down and flicked the clasp on her collar, flipping it open to reveal the unmarred skin of her left shoulder. “Plus... _she_ carries my _bondmark_. _You_ don't.” Before the real Shepard could stop him, he had gripped the clone's wrists and threw her off the edge of the ramp. “Bye now.”

A gasp of shock escaped Shepard. She looked up at him with a frown as he stood glaring down at the city racing by beneath them. “I can't believe you just did that.”

“He was a ruthless, unfeeling bastard on Omega. I knew something of Archangel remained... no matter how he might try to shy away from his past.” Lilfrey said, stepping out from behind the stack of crates near Shane. She had Dr. Michel restrained and the woman was struggling in her grip.

“She would have killed us all. Already tried to kill him.” Wrex huffed, nodding toward the silent turian.

Shepard stood beside him and watched the skycar penetrate the kinetic barrier to land where the kodiak normally sat. Garrus did not move. He remained standing there, hands at his sides balled into fists and glared downward. She realized he was not glaring at the city below, but the spot the clone had occupied.

“Hey...” Shepard said, putting a hand on his armored shoulder. “You ok?”

The sharp intake of breath at her touch told her that he was not exactly ok. The turian turned his head, locking eyes with her and drew his mandibles in tight to his face. “I'm... uh... I... don't know.”

“You did what had to be done. I couldn't have done it. I would have tried to save her.” Shepard said softly.

“And I'm... Archangel... for better or worse.” Garrus sighed with a nod and closed his eyes. “You're a paragon of humanity, Shepard. My conscience will never be that clear.”

“ _Own_ it, lover. I'm no more a saint than you are. My hands and my conscience are just as stained as yours.” Shepard said firmly. “Nobody's innocent in this war.”


	69. Family Chaos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard is so ready to be done with this clone business... and her brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we have a couple of pov characters here. The muses are humming right along.

“Fortunately, they weren't here long enough to do much real damage.” Cortez said, stepping out of the skycar with Joker. “Although I may need some help from James cleaning up the damage to the shuttle bay.”

“Plus they overloaded the heat diffusion system firing at us.” Joker groused. “Not sure if you know this, but shuttle guy here did some _crazy_ stunt flying to keep us in one piece.”

Cortez turned, spreading his arms as he took a couple of backward steps. “It's nice to fly something a little more maneuverable than the kodiak.”

Shepard gave him a faint smile then turned back to Joker. “What about EDI. She back online?”

“I am once again fully in control of the Normandy.” the AI said through the ship's intercom.

“Good to hear it.” Shepard nodded. Her eyes narrowed when she glanced at her struggling brother. “What about the mercs? Any survivors?”

“Just one crappy-ass pilot... and them.” Joker hooked his thumb toward Shane and Michel. “Alliance is takin' them to high-security facility. Maybe your brother can give them some dirt on Cerberus.”

“The Alliance can blow me! I'm not cooperating with the people who left me for dead!” Shane snarled as Wrex dragged him toward them.

“I've done nothing wrong. It was all him. He coerced me, tried to indoctrinate me.” Michel wailed as Lilfrey manhandled her to Shane's side.

“The clone was right, you can't be trusted, you bitch!” Shane snapped at her and lunged, looking as if he meant to bite her.

Wrex chuckled and hauled him a little further from his target. “This one's feisty.”

“I'd rather just kill you where you stand, Shane.” Shepard said coldly, eyes locked to the familiar face of her twin.

“Then what are you waiting, sis. Just do it.” Shane sighed, relaxing in the krogan's grip. “The Alliance says I'm dead anyway.... The Butcher of Torfan... should have been the survivor of that shit-storm that went down on Akuze too.”

“The Butcher....? _You_ killed those batarians?” Shepard asked in disbelief.

“Damn right I did. I'd do it again too. The Allaince needed the problem 'solved'. I gave them that solution.” Shane growled even as the krogan released his hold on him. The man was cuffed, there was nowhere for him to go.

“So... instead of coming forward, letting the board know you were still alive after Akuze, you betrayed the Alliance... _in the middle of a war?_ ”

“They betrayed me first. Left me to die on that damn dust ball! Called off the search barely a hundred meters from my location!” Shane's voice was steadily climbing. “And _you_... you played right into their hands. The distraught sibling... too torn up to search for me yourself! And then _he_ came along... and your little war with Saren. Your Spectre induction... That should have been me! I was always stronger... a pure biotic. You were just a Vanguard.”

“Cerberus changed that.” Shepard growled as she turned away from him and walked back toward her bondmate.

“I guess they did.” Shane sighed.

“I can't kill my own brother. You're getting a chance to redeem yourself.” Shepard turned back toward him, taking a few steps right back into his face. “Don't make me regret it!”

“Mercy is a virtue of forgiveness, eh, sis?” Shane gave her a weak smile then. It almost seemed sincere even as he wiggled just a little in discomfort. “You'll miss me.”

Turning away from him again, Shepard headed back toward the elevator. She needed to put some distance between them. There was a good chance that she really might put a bullet in him if she did not.

At the sound of Shane's grunt and Cortez' warning yell, Shepard whirled around to see her twin had popped the cuffs with a biotic field. He took off toward the skycar. Wrex dove after him and missed. Crashing to the floor with a grunt. Before she had a chance to ready a biotic blast, a gunshot went off to her right. Shane dropped with a scream, holding his left knee.

“Uh... you know.... I meant for that to be a _warning_ shot. Ah well...” Garrus sighed from his position on one knee, sniper rifle in hand.

“Bullshit.” Shepard breathed pointing at his bound thigh. “You never miss. That was payback for the thigh.”

“Hmm....” he hummed at her as he levered himself to his feet. He purred at her the moment he slung his rifle to his back. “Can't say he didn't have it coming.”

“Get _him_... out of here!” Shepard growled at no one in particular. “And take _her_ with you! We have a ship to return to the maintenance techs.”

*

“Aye, Commander.” Cortez said curtly and stepped over to her brother. He bent done and hauled the man up brutally by an arm. “C'mon. You heard the commander. She wants you off _her_ ship. We're meeting C-Sec at the docks. From there... you and Dr. Michel are heading off to lockup.”

“Fuck you! You...” Shane started, spraying sweat at the man as he limped along.

“Ah... don't finish that.” Cortez snapped before shoving Shane roughly into the car. The man's head hit the lower end of the canopy frame before he fell inside. “Oh... I'm sooo sorry. Did that hurt?”

“Bastard...” Shane grumbled and flopped around the back seat.

“That's Lieutenant Bastard to you.” Cortez growled and waited for Lilfrey to shove Michel into the other side of the car.

The turian woman practically threw the human woman into the car. Michel's head bounced off Shane's knee and he howled in pain.

“We should make sure he does not bleed to death before the authorities take him.” Lilfrey sighed in resignation.

“You run, I'll personally blow your head off, Doc. Understand?” Cortez said as he removed Michel's cuffs, his pistol in her face.

The woman nodded vigorously and reached for Shane's leg. “I need a medical kit, medi-gel.”

“There's one in compartment between the seats.” Cortez motioned toward the center console.

Cortez waited until the Normandy was docked once more before pulling the car out and heading for the nearby platform. C-Sec was already waiting on them. He looked over at the Normandy and tapped the implant near his ear.

“Commander, the rest of the team is waiting on the platform outside. I'll drop off the 'baggage' and head back in. we'll have the Normandy back in shape in no time.” he stated calmly, glancing over at the turian woman in the seat beside him. She was glaring death at the pair in the backseat.

“Appreciate it.” Shepard said on the other end, the sound of the airlock opening carried through with her voice.

*

“Well... what happens on shore leave... stays... on shore leave.” Garrus said as he brought up the rear heading down the ramp toward the loading docks.

Shepard laughed at that as they reached the walkway the rest of the team was clustered on. She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Glancing back at her bondmate, she gave him a tilt of her head with a half cocky smile. “C'mon. Maybe we can take some actual time off. No explosions or anything. Just us.”

“Don't know about 'no explosions', but 'just us' sounds perfect.” Wrex said, a sound of longing tinged his voice, as if he were actually ready for a break.

Shepard heaved a huge sigh of relief the moment she climbed into the car with Garrus. Wrex, Vega and Liara crammed into the backseat. She had no intention of heading back out once they reached the apartment. Joker could handled getting the rest of the crew back to her place. She had a small bonding party to see to, something she knew Garrus and Liara had been planning for awhile now.

The second she stepped over the threshold of the apartment, her omni-tool went off. She let out a sigh and rolled her eyes before answering it. The face of a turian in C-Sec armor popped up on the tiny screen. That sharpened her attention to full alertness.

“Commander Shepard?” the male asked.

“Yes.” she nodded.

“Your presence has been requested at the Noodle House. There's been... an incident... with a krogan.” the male stated.

The screen went blank and closed down as the officer cut the connection. Shepard let out a ragged sigh and rolled her eyes. “My god... will this day _ever end?_ ”

“You should probably go see what this 'incident' is. Has to be Grunt... Wrex is right here.” Garrus said, mandibles flaring slightly.

“Oh you're not getting off the hook, Vakarian. He's your bond-son, remember?” Shepard barely contained the satisfied smile that crept across her face.

“Crap...” Garrus groaned and followed her back out the door.

“We'll just... get the party started.” Wrex called with a laugh from the door.

“Whatever...” Shepard waved them off.

They walked through the throng of people toward the Noodle House down the 'street'. Shepard saw a small crowd and a couple of C-Sec officers near the storefront. She huffed a frustrated sigh the second she came within range of their hearing.

“Officer. Someone requested my presence concerning an incident with a krogan.” Shepard said to the officer.

The turian closed down his data pad and nodded. “Right this way, Commander.”

Shepard and Garrus followed him through the Noodle House to the side facing the next 'street' over. She saw Grunt standing there glaring at another C-Sec officer. The turian was glaring right back at him.

“So... Grunt. Anything you wanna tell me about?” Shepard sighed as she and her bondmate stopped within feet of the young krogan. She crossed her arms and gave him a withering look.

“Uh... this clown wants to take me to lockup. Figured I'd give you a call, straighten this out.” Grunt grumbled, eyeing them both.

“Commander Shepard, I apologize for the intrusion. This krogan _insisted_ we contact you.” the turian officer said politely.

“It's ok. I vouche for 'im. I'll sign any paperwork you have, Officer.” Shepard said, waving the intrusion idea away.

“Yes, ma'am.” the officer nodded as he glanced down at his data pad.

“Uh... Shepard... you might want to find out... exactly what... you're signing first.” Garrus cautioned.

As the officers cleared the area, Shepard shifted from foot to foot and stepped a little closer to Grunt when he sat down on a bench. She cocked her head to the side slightly and let out a sigh. “What happened?”

“I dunno. Drank a bit, left the hospital, broke a few windows.” Grunt let out a sigh of his own.

“But... you were in that hospital recovering from the rachni encounter. I thought you'd have been released by now.” Shepard frowned at him.

“Yeah, ingested too many toxins. They kept me to purge 'em all. Didn't feel like stickin' around any longer.” Grunt said, shifting around in his seat.

“Most people stick around long enough to... you know... heal.” Shepard grumbled at him.

“Most people aren't me.” Grunt made direct eye contact then.

“He's got a point, Shepard.” Garrus said softly.

“And why is C-Sec here?” Shepard waved a hand at the officers only a few yards away.

“Guess they're precious about some broken glass.” Grunt grumbled, glaring at the officers in question.

“Uh... _before_ Shepard signs you out... did everybody walk away from this 'incident' in one piece?” Garrus asked, placing a hand on her shoulder to stall her next question.

“Sure.... yeah, everybody's fine. Hospital's seen better days though.” Grunt said, shifting again.

“Right.” Shepard breathed with a nervous smile creeping across her face as an officer with a data pad wondered back over to them. “Tell me about the windows.”

“A couple of squadmates broke me out for my birthday. Tried to lower me down the side of the building on a rope.” he paused for a second and closed his eyes, shaking his head. “It... didn't work out. Fell through some glass, landed in the garden... hard.

“Wait... it's your birthday?” Garrus asked, eyes narrowed at the krogan.

Shepard took the data pad from the C-Sec officer and glanced up at the krogan expectantly.

“ _No._ I'm tank-bred, remember? Anyway, we got some pictures on the krogan memorial.” Grunt said.

“In the Presidium? Spirits, what did you do, climb it?” Garrus half laughed until the krogan gave him a serious look.

“Yeah.... when C-Sec got there, they were mad. Or maybe they were mad about their car being on fire. Can't remember.” Grunt said casually.

“Oh for spirit's sake.” Garrus sighed and sat down beside the krogan, head in his hands.

“Why was it on fire?” Shepard asked in a deadpan tone.

“I threw my bottle of ryncol at it. Pretty strong stuff – went up like a bonfire.” Grunt said, still sounding far too calm until the end. He let out a faint laugh at the memory.

Garrus just moaned beside the krogan and shook his head. Barely under his breath, he groaned. “Why...”

Grunt shrugged, spreading his hands. “The C-Sec guys jumped out. Then I figured they didn't want it... so... I took it. We didn't get very far before they shot us down.”

Shepard glared at the data pad, then looked toward the burning car a few yards away when the officer pointed at it. She noticed Garrus glancing that way and heard the deep rumbling keen break free of his throat before he dropped his head back into his hands.

“Sprayed us down with riot foam. Hehe... didn't work so well on me.” the krogan let out an evil sounding laugh.

“Do... I even wanna ask... why?” Garrus glanced at the krogan between his fingers as he rubbed his hands down over his mandibles.

Grunt doubled his fist, smiling like a lunatic. “Cause I was on fire... you know... from the car. C'mon, Pops... keep up.”

“Right... so how did they catch you?” Shepard asked, crossing her arms again the second she handed off the data pad.

“Got hungry. Bought some noodles.” the krogan said, glancing back at the Noodle House.

“Grunt, you _apologize_ to the nice man for setting his car on fire.” Shepard said sternly.

“Fine...” the krogan grumbled and shifted in his seat uncomfortably. “I'm sorry... for setting your car on fire.”

She nodded toward the turian beside her expectantly with a raised eyebrow.

The krogan groaned and tilted his head. “....and... I _won't_ do it again.”

“Good. Now... Officer, I can pay for any damages that... _may_ have occurred.” Shepard said as she made eye contact with the turian C-Sec officer.

“That's what you've been signing for, Commander. You're lucky, krogan. Don't let me catch you up here again.” the turian said tersely. He turned and began to walk away.

Shepard turned with a nod. “You won't. Thank you, Officer.”

Grunt got up off the bench and stepped up beside her then. Garrus remained where he was for the moment.

“So... how were those noodles?” Shepard asked with a faint smile on her face.

“A little spicy.” Grunt shrugged.

Shepard snorted a laugh at that. “I love you, Grunt.”

“Heh-heh-heh.” Grunt just laughed.

“Spirits... you're as _crazy_ as... your _mother_....” Garrus patted him on the opposite shoulder.

“Gee... thanks... I love you too.” Shepard shook her head.


	70. Derailing the Celebration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus is not pleased with his father's revelations.

The ride back to the apartment was uneventful. Garrus draped his arm around Shepard as she leaned against him, snuggling into his side. It was pretty clear to him that she was considering a nap after the chaos they had just settled. Between her brother, the clone and Grunt's exploits, he imagined his bondmate must be exhausted. He nodded to Cortez and Grunt when they exited the vehicle. They went on ahead and he allowed Shepard to continue dozing.

Groaning faintly, he followed Nana with his eyes as she entered the apartment tower. The asari was determined to embarrass the hell out of him tonight and he knew it. True, he was anxiously anticipating this bonding ceremony he and Liara had put together, but Nana was likely to blow it all out of proportion. He was fairly proud of ideas they had come up with based on both turian and human traditions.

Glancing at his omni-tool, he read the message that pinged across it. With a sign, he realized it was time to get this party started. His father and sister were already here. The second ping caused his brow-plates to raise in surprise. That was a message he had not been expecting to see. A slow smile spread his mandibles then as he gently shook his bondmate's shoulder to wake her.

Shepard sat up, disoriented and wiped at an eye. Looking around, it was clear she was not sure where they were at first. “Where is everybody?”

“They... uh... they've already gone inside.” Garrus said softly and ran a gloved talon delicately across her cheek, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

Shepard let out a tired sigh and hit the canopy release. “I guess we should go... run some damage control.”

Garrus huffed a laugh at that and nodded. “With Natearus here... we'll be lucky if she hasn't managed to plaster everyone to the ceiling... with her biotics.”

“Wait... Nana's here?” Shepard asked as they made their way to the apartment elevator.

“Hmm...” Garrus nodded with a hum and a flare of his mandibles.

Shepard yawned, rubbing her face before hitting the elevator call button. When she locked eyes with him again, he could see the mild anxiety building behind them. “We're really doing this.... aren't we?”

Garrus blinked hard then and looked down, away from her for a moment. That old awkwardness tried to dominate his reactions as he ran a hand over the back of his neck. “We're already bonded... this is just... a formality.”

“Right, but your family will be here... and Nana. Feels... I dunno... more real this way.” Shepard's voice was barely a whisper as she entered the elevator.

“We... don't... have to do this... if it's not what you want.” Garrus said, barely managing to maintain a steady voice. The sad trill of his sub-harmonics slipped past regardless.

Shepard stepped in close then, her left hand gently caressing his scarred mandible and cheek. Her voice was firm and her brows knit together in a concerned frown. “I want this with you. Never doubt that.”

Garrus nodded, touching his plated brow to the odd mark that was still faintly visible on her forehead. A humming trill of contentment escaped him then and she let out a contented sigh, colored by a hum of her own. The doors opened and they parted reluctantly.

“About time you two made an appearance!” came Nana's grumpy voice. The asari stood in the main sitting room near the coffee table with her hands on her hips.

Lydera was pulling herself up on said coffee table and reaching for anything close to her. Without even glancing at the child, Nana pushed a couple of items out of her reach. Her eyes remained on them as they stepped out of the elevator.

“I got her, Nana.” Grunt rumbled before plopping down on the floor at the end of the coffee table with a thump.

“Keep her out of trouble, boy.” Nana grumbled even as the asari tot crawled into the krogan's lap and started reaching for his face.

“Heh-heh-heh...” was his reply and Garrus let out a groan.

Garrus tried to suppress the dread boiling up in the pit of his stomach over the idea of Grunt teaching that baby bad habits. One Grunt was hard enough to deal with. He did not think he would survive an asari version of him. _I doubt the galaxy would survive that_.

“Your father is waiting for you, first bedroom... that way.” Nana said to Garrus and pointed in the general direction of the kitchen. To Shepard, she smiled and nodded. “You, dear, are coming with me.”

Garrus took one last look at Shepard as she followed the asari up the stairs. After a moment, he headed off toward the bedroom Nana had indicated. He thought his nerves might jump to FTL any second. This was so much more nerve wracking than he had expected it to be. It was such a simple thing.

Human and turian customs merged on a good many things in regards to the ceremony. There were, of course, a good many differences as well. Humans tended to go all out and choose special clothing they would never wear again. Turians were much more practical. The tux he had been fitted for recently would double as formal wear for other occasions.

Bonding vows were a bit of intrigue for him. Turians generally spoke from the heart, mate to mate. Creating 'the perfect' lines to recite was something of a novelty to him. He wondered if Shepard would write something to recite. Speaking from the heart was exactly what he meant to do. Those were the thoughts swirling through his head when he entered the room his father was waiting in.

Castis looked up expectantly the second he entered. “You sure you're ready for this, son?”

“This... is just a formality, Dad.” Garrus stated as he walked over to the foot of the bed. The turian tux was laid out neatly across it and he plucked at it before beginning to strip.

“Not what I meant, Garrus.” his father hummed, his wet sand colored eyes locking to his son.

“Shepard _is_ my mate. This ceremony just declares that to our friends and family...” Garrus stated.

“Yes, on an _official_ level.” Castis stated and helped Garrus straighten his tunic.

“Is... there a problem... with my choice of mate?” Garrus asked incredulously, taking a half step back from his father.

“It's not like that, Garrus.” Castis stood his ground. Garrus could almost see the trap about to spring, however. The man glanced away from him for an instant, a telltale sign that there was more to his thinking than he was telling.

“But...” Garrus prompted in slight annoyance. Up until now, his father had seemed supportive of his bonding. _Maybe a little too supportive_.

“This war has brought us to the brink of extinction. More of us will die before we see the end of it.” Castis explained and finally locked his eyes to his son once more. “Every able bodied turian male and female of breeding age will be asked to... do their part. You do understand what this means, don't you, son?”

“A breeding program.” Garrus said coldly as the trap seemed to close around him. Taking another step back from his father, he shook his head. “I... _can't_ believe you'd condone that.”

“It was my idea. Primarch Victus was reluctant to agree, but... we did finally reach an agreement. We're not going to pair off random strangers with no compatibility markers. _Spirits_ , Garrus, we won't be that cruel.” Castis snapped and continued to stand his ground. “The hope is the pairs will produce more than one offspring together. They can't hate each other for that to happen.”

“And what does this have to do with me?” Garrus asked cautiously. “I'm already bonded. This program seems like it will only work for single turians.”

“You... _will_ be asked to participate. I can't interfere with that. Our people need the Vakarian bloodline. And... no matter my personal opinion of Commander Shepard, you aren't bonded to a genetically compatible female.” Castis almost sounded sad at that statement.

“Then I'll go to a lab.” Garrus snapped and glared at his father. He held a finger up when the man started to open his mouth to protest. “But... _I_ will _not_ betray my mate with another female... not even to continue the bloodline.”

“A lab... what lab, Garrus? Our fertility clinics are gone.” Castis snapped back. He held up a hand to forestall more protests. “The commander must understand you have an obligation to your _species_ , not just your clan... one she is bound to share with her own.”

“Don't put this on my shoulders. Sol is older. She's still single and of breeding age.” Garrus growled back. “Let her continue the line. Give her children our clan name.”

“Have you never wondered _why_ your sister is still single? _Why_ she has no children of her own?” Castis stepped forward and put a hand on his son's shoulder.

Garrus rolled his eyes at his father, giving him a sideways look and shook his head. He let out a soft moaning keen as understanding clicked. “She's sterile, isn't she? That eezo accident ten years ago...”

“She's afraid to try. _So_ many things can go wrong...” Castis stated.

“So... she has biotic children. I'm a biotic. You really think my kids won't share that?” Garrus finally growled at him, realizing that his sister had never tried to have children.

Castis sighed with a nod. “I see your point... but... if Sol is unable to bare children, this _will_ fall to you. Shepard must understand...”

“You promised something could be worked out, for the good of the clan, when I told you I marked Shepard. Turians don't lie, but you're doing a _damn_ good job of _implying_ that conversation is a moot point.” Garrus snarled at his father. “If you _force_ me to comply with this breeding program, I'll have no choice... but this doesn't come up again tonight. Understood?”

Castis nodded and Garrus tried to tap down his fuming temper. He walked out of the room with a look on his face that he knew might well curdle milk. Tucking the chain that held the data storage tag beneath his collar, he traced a hand over the small device. It rested against his left pectoral plate, near his keel and he doubled his fist against it. He began to wonder just how much legal sway that document might really hold in the face of the information his father had thrown at him.


	71. Discussing the Stakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nana receives an unexpected message from Garrus and hunts down his father.

Nana frowned at the message that pinged across her omni-tool. Garrus never messaged her... ever. Stepping into the bathroom and closing the door, she opened the message and read it over quickly. Her frown deepened as she reread it a couple times.

*

_Sender: vakarian.prtr@heirarchy.43.79.005_

_Recipient: t'loak.nana@thessia.85.45.4405_

_Do something with your_ _**friend** _ _. He's hellbent on a breeding program... and_ _**my participation** _ _. I had to walk away..._

_G._

_*_

“Oh no you don't, my plated friend. You're not vaporizing this bonding ceremony.” Nana growled to herself, realizing the boy could only be talking about his father.

Closing down her omni-tool, Nana stepped out of the bathroom and gave Lilfrey a meaningful look. The turian stepped away from Shepard and Liara then. The second she was close, Nana whispered to her. “Be a dear and distract Shepard for awhile. I'll be back as soon as I settle something.”

“That shouldn't be hard. Neither of us knows anything about human hair.” Lilfrey said with a nod.

Nana simply nodded and headed for the door. She caught Shepard's eyes and the questioning look. Before the woman could ask, she put a hand to the door with a nod. “I'll be back shortly. I have a turian to de-plate.”

“Excuse me?” Shepard asked, sounding completely horrified.

“Oh don't worry, dear. I'm not flaying your mate.” with that, she was out the door and down the hall.

*

 _Sender:_ _t'loak.nana@thessia.85.45.4405_

 _Recipient:_ _vakarian.prtr@heirarchy.43.79.005_

_Where is he, boy?_

_Nana_

_*_

_Sender: vakarian.prtr@heirarchy.43.79.005_

_Recipient: t'loak.nana@thessia.85.45.4405_

_In the small library downstairs._

_G._

_*_

“Now I've got you.” Nana grumbled to herself as she made her way down the stairs. She glanced toward Garrus with a nod. The turian was sitting on one of the barstools at the big bar on the other side of the fireplace. Unless she missed her guess, he was working on an entire bottle of horosk, alone.

Frowning at the affects that was likely to have on him later, she stormed past him, toward the the library in question. Castis stood with his hands clasped behind his back regarding a small collection of real books on the far wall. She stopped a few feet behind him, hands on her hips.

“Just what do you think you're trying to do?” Nana barked and startled the turian.

A breath hissed out of him as he turned to face her. The venomous look on her face must have said it all because what little color he had drained from the hide between his plates. His markings seemed to nearly glow against the whiteness of his plates.

Castis let out a breath and nodded. The statement was casual when it came. “He messaged you.”

“You're damn right he did, and with good reason, clearly. What's the thinking, Cas? Why wreck their big day for some archaic practice that died centuries ago?” Nana growled at him.

“My people are dying...” he began.

Nana cut him off. “And mine aren't? Shepard's people aren't being slaughtered by the _millions?_ You don't see our two races making plans for mandatory breeding programs. I don't hear Anderson telling Shepard she has to become breeding stock once this war ends. Do you?”

Castis seemed to think about that for a few moments before he dropped his gaze. His voice was quiet when he answered. “No.”

“Then why do such a thing to your own _son?_ ” Nana demanded.

“Because he is my _only_ son, there are certain things _expected_ of him. Clan obligations to fulfill.” Castis stated.

“You were young once, Cas. Do you remember what it was like to be young... and in love? Do you remember how Iceira made you feel when she accepted your bond-pledge? How did you feel when she encouraged your bondmark?” Nana's voice was quiet when she placed a hand on the turian's shoulder and looked up at him. “Would you really take that from your son? Would you take it from either of your children? _Could_ you?”

Castis had closed his eyes and balled up his fists at his sides. His nose plates twitched to the rhythm of his slightly flicking mandibles. He gave one shake to his head and then glared at the asari before him. Those sand colored eyes seemed to bore into her then.

“Natearus...” he began in a hard tone.

“You pissed, boy? _Good._ That's what you've done to your son.” Nana snapped, cutting him off. Before he could say another word, she took a step into his space and glared up at him, inches from his face. “You ruin your son's bonding ceremony... and _we lose_ to the Reapers. _It's. That. Simple._ Do you honestly think Shepard will _want_ to finish this if she loses Garrus now? She's fighting for _him_. The human who loves your son is moving heaven and hell to _win_ this thing... so that _your son_ will have a measure of peace. She's fighting so he can _live_. Don't you realize that?” Nana glared at him then and realized he was about to say something else. Her voice was cold as ice with her next statement. “If you argue that point, I swear to the goddess, I will strip your plates from your hide with my mind.”

Castis let out a sigh of frustration and glanced down the hall thoughtfully. The tip of his blue tongue flicked out across the edge of his upper mouth plates lightning fast. His eyes remained on a far off point as his brow-plates drew downward in silence.

Finally, his eyes came back to hers. “What would you have me do, Tear?”

“Let him take care of those obligations through a lab.” Nana stated firmly.

“He's already suggested that, but... most of the turian based fertility labs are gone.” Castis breathed sadly, a faint keen seeping past his control.

“Then let Solana provide the heirs to your clan.” Nana suggested thoughtfully. “I know about the accident. I can't imagine your people will shun biotics after this war. Nothing wrong with biotics anyway.”

“You sound like Garrus.” Castis said thoughtfully.

“And who do you think he learned it from? You did bundle him off to me at an impressionable age.” Nana crossed her arms and gave him a smug smile. She was fairly certain she had broken through that spiky cement block he called a head. A thought struck her a moment later and her smile grew. “Mordin.... I'm sure that sly old salarian can think of something to remedy this problem.”

Nana opened her omni-tool and clicked her tongue thoughtfully as she sent off a couple of messages. She felt the turian's eyes on her then and glanced up. The smile remained on her face for a moment until she thought of the younger turian getting shit-faced at the bar.

“You have a task, I think. You should probably see to it... and soon.” Nana grumbled at him.

“I... don't know what you're talking about.” Castis said casually.

“ _Goddess_... you're just as hardheaded as that boy of yours. Go on! Go talk to him.” Nana barked in exasperation.

“And just what am I supposed to say, Tear? He doesn't want to speak to me.” Castis grumbled.

“You'll think of something, dear.” Nana smiled and patted his arm. “Or you'll stick your foot in your mouth. You're good at that too.”

Rather than wait around for him to come up with another excuse, Nana turned on her heel and headed back into the main sitting room. She stopped and stared at the krogan with the asari baby climbing all over him. The child was dangling from his forearm as he chuckled. She would have snapped at him for it if he had not had his other hand hovering just beneath the child's rear.

As she watched them for a moment, she nodded to herself. The realization struck her that Lydera was probably in the best possible hands right then and there. So she left them to their game. A chuckle escaped her when she thought about the whole situation. Grunt could be considered Lydera's big brother. Shepard had birthed him from his tank, after all.

Heading back upstairs, she grunted in pain when her prosthetic leg clicked and pinched her stump. The thing was old, it should not surprise her that it was wearing out. She stumbled the rest of the way up the stairs a little more short of breath than usual. It took her a moment to catch her breath once she was at the top. She absently rubbed at the pain that radiated through her neck to her shoulder.

Frowning, she shrugged it off with a grunted of frustration and headed toward the bedroom Shepard was currently occupying. She was not entirely surprised to see that the other asari and the turian had called in one of the human women to help with the girl's hair. At least they had chosen one with a reasonable amount of her own hair. She believed the woman's name was Miranda.


	72. The Bond

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus and his family are all on edge. Some might say it's pre-wedding jitters... if they weren't already bonded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Multiple pov in this chapter. The muses insisted.

Garrus had barely touched the bottle of horosk sitting on the bar in front of him. He had little interest in getting stupid drunk at that particular moment. In a couple of hours, if all went well, he would be standing with Shepard before the fireplace with their friends and family looking on. He meant to be in full control of his faculties when he offered her his bond-pledge. That pledge was meant to come from his heart, not the booze sloshing through his veins. He wanted to remember every detail.

The turian took no notice of the body taking a seat on a stool beside him until a blue gloved turian hand reached for the bottle of horosk. He glanced to his right then and groaned as his father poured a copious amount of liquor into a short glass.

“What do _you_ want?” Garrus did not even bother attempting to keep the snarl of his sub-harmonics under control.

Castis knocked back the glass in one gulp and barely flinched at the obvious burn of the liquor. Garrus raised a brow-plate at that. Horosk was some of the hardest stuff Palaven produced. He had only seen his father take a shot or two here and there, never the amounts he was currently taking in. The shock of watching the male pour a second glass and knock it back as well forced him to remain silent.

The male sat there for a moment, just staring into the bottom of his now empty glass. Clearly he was allowing the alcohol to settle in before he spoke. His mandibles drew in tight for a second, before relaxing as he let out a breath and shook his head.

“I... shouldn't... push you so hard.” Castis finally said quietly. His eyes never left his glass. Instead, he poured a third round and swirled it around his glass for several long moments. “I have no right...”

“Well... now that we're clear on that.... What do you _really_ want?” Garrus grumbled, the bite evaporating from his tone.

“Hmm... I love you, son.” mandibles flaring in a half smile, Castis tossed back the third glass and set it down on the counter. “I want what's best for our people.” he shifted on the barstool with a grunt before pouring a fourth glass. “Natearus reminded me exactly what I've... failed to see...”

“And what's that?” Garrus asked quietly, his eyes narrowing on his father as the other turian stared at his fourth glass of hard liquor. He was beginning to wonder if the male had lost his mind.

Castis looked at him then, his eyes glassy from the amount of liquor he had already poured down his throat. “What seems the best plan for the majority of our people... _may_ not be what's best for my children. In that case... it may _not_ be the best idea for our people at all.”

“What... exactly are you saying?” Garrus asked cautiously.

His father picked the fourth glass of horosk up and looked at it thoughtfully for several long moments before letting out a sigh. “A _voluntary_ breeding program might be more acceptable as a whole.”

“If it's voluntary... I respectfully decline to participate.” Garrus said firmly.

“I know...” Castis nodded before tossing back that fourth glass. He thumped the glass down and pushed it away before swaying to his feet. “As you should... for the good of your mate. I'll... inform the Primarch of the changes to the program.”

Garrus stared after him as his father grabbed the bottle and staggered away, heading back toward that small library at the rear of the apartment. He scratched absently at the seams of his fringe for a moment before pushing himself away from the bar.

*

Solana glared at her father from the doorway of the lower level bathroom. Her eyes narrowed on the male as he staggered past her on his way to that tiny office at the rear of the apartment. She had not heard all of it, but she had heard enough. Anger boiled in her gut like lava and pinched her mandibles to her jaw.

Glancing at her brother, she realized he was unsure of what to do with himself. Tonight was important to him and Shepard both. She could not, in good conscience, allow their father to screw things up. Too much was riding on Shepard's ability to fight and defeat the Reapers.

Waiting a few moments only, Solana stormed into that tiny office and glared at the male settling into the chair before the desk. His legs were stretched out before him, ankles crossed as he brought the bottle up to his mouth. When he saw her, he lowered it, untouched.

“How much did you hear?” her father asked simply in a deadpan tone.

“More than enough. I know you meant to make this breeding plan of yours mandatory. I know you meant to separate Garrus and Shepard to get those clan heirs you want so badly too.” Solana growled at him.

“I never meant to separate them, Sol.” he said quietly, staring at the bottle of horosk he had set down on the desk.

“You know what would have happened if you forced him to produce offspring with someone else.” Solana snapped.

“It doesn't matter now, Sol. The breeding program will be voluntary. Your brother has already declined to participate....” Castis let out a sigh and picked up the bottle once more. Before taking a gulp of it, he nodded and glanced at her. “and I agree with his reasoning.”

“Then _prove_ it! _Begin_ the ceremony. You know they're waiting on your blessing. Don't force Garrus to improvise in this.” Solana growled and snatched the nearly empty bottle from her father's grip.

Castis simply growled his displeasure at her. Solana stood her ground and glared at him. She was no longer a child to back down and run the other way from her father. He knew it too by the look he finally gave her. He let out a frustrated sigh and got to his feet after another moment.

“Your brother owes you.” Castis grumbled, snatching the bottle from her as he staggered past her toward the main sitting area.

“More than you realize.” Sol said under her breath as she followed her father out of the room.

*

“Everything ok?” Shepard asked as Nana stepped back into the room. The asari looked pale and out of breath.

“Castis mentioned something... a little off color, dear. Nothing to worry about. It's been dealt with.” Nana murmured as she pulled the clear bag off the dress.

“You and he are getting a little... cozy...” Shepard said, eyes locking to the asari as she stepped away.

“Just companionship, girl... He needs a shoulder to lean on and I have two. I'm lending him one of them. Besides, he's good company. If I were a century or two younger...” Nana grumbled, crossing her arms as she looked the dress over critically.

“You mean you're not...?” Shepard trailed off.

“Not that it's any of your concern, but no, dear. I think that mate of yours would take exception to that kind of thing anyway. His mother's passing is far too recent. He'd think I was taking advantage... and he'd be right.” Nana stated, sounding more gentle in her explanation than usual.

“Hm.” Shepard hummed softly and twisted away from Miranda as the woman adjusted one last curl.

Miranda shrugged, slapping her hands on her thighs as Shepard stood and headed for the closet. Nana had fluffed the dress out in order to make it easier to help the commander into it. The two asari helped her work it on, careful of all the work that had gone into her hair and makeup.

“So what did he have to say? You usually don't look this stressed.” Shepard commented, motioning toward Nana's current state.

“Oh, don't worry about that now, girl. We'll talk later.” the asari said as she stepped toward the door. She cracked it open and called out. “It's alright, you can come in now.”

Shepard was regarding herself in the mirror and did not notice who had just stepped in. She knew by the footfalls that it must be male and human by the gait and heaviness. Beyond that, she thought maybe Vega or Cortez.

“My god... you're beautiful, kid.” Anderson's voice cut through her regard of the image in the mirror and her head snapped toward the door.

“Anderson! How are you here?” Shepard frowned and glanced between the two asari.

“ _Officially._.. I'm not. Left my XO in command for a few hours. Joker said you and Vakarian were planning a bonding ceremony. Thought I'd come and fulfill my duty.” Anderson said, taking the few steps away from the door to take her hands.

“Joker... I owe him for this.” Shepard grumbled, but there was a smile on her face as she squeezed the man's hands. The smile faded as a thought struck her. “It's been suggested that my bonding contract might not be... legal.”

“Hm. I'll take a look at that. If something's amiss, we'll get it sorted out.” Anderson stated as he stepped back and opened his omni-tool. “Damn. Looks like Udina annulled the contract before it was Archived in Alliance records. Whoever told you it wasn't legal... was right. At least... as far as the Alliance is concerned.”

“Is there a way to fix it?” Shepard asked, a frown knitting her brows together.

“Admirals and captains have been marrying people off for centuries. Good thing I'm here. Looks like I'll have to officiate the ceremony as well.” Anderson nodded. And tapped a few keys on his omni-tool. “Just a formality, but I'd be honored.” after a few more keys, the man glanced up at her with a smile. “There... Signed, sealed and archived. Now... let's get this party started.”

Shepard looped her arm through Anderson's when he offered it. The second they crossed the threshold and headed toward the stairs, the data storage tag resting against her sternum let out a faint chirp as the document was updated. She pressed a hand to it, just beneath the top of her dress and smiled.

*

Garrus looked up as his father came staggering out of the back room toward the main sitting area. His eyes widened just a fraction as his father stripped off one glove and held the bottle up. He tapped the glass with a talon to draw the attention of those in the room.

“May I have everyone's attention, please?” the elder Vakarian called loudly, his dual-toned voice flanging chaotically from the booze in his system. After a couple of minutes, he lowered the bottle and looked around the room. “My son, Garrus, will declare his bond to Commander Shepard before all of you tonight. According to turian custom, this makes his bonding... _official_. No one may come between them...” his voice dropped as he looked at the floor. “Not even an old fool... such as myself. I will impart my blessing to them this night.”

Garrus stared at the male in shock even as the other opened his omni-tool and clearly sent off a message to someone. A moment later, the male locked eyes with him and nodded toward the fireplace as he moved into position. He realized it was time as he slipped off the barstool and took his own place.

The ambient music drifting from the apartment's stereo system shifted to a soft piano and violin piece and he immediately recognized it. This was the piece Shepard had played during their first night together. His mandibles flicked in approval.

A moment later, all eyes turned to the top of the stairs. Nana came first, seeming a little paler than normal and wearing a light green pants suit. Liara followed in a dress that nearly matched her skin, tossing the large petals of that purple flower his mother had loved so much. Shepard claimed it smelled like roses dipped in honey. He had a vague idea of what those were from some of his research. Lilfrey stepped off to the side and remained on the balcony with the few who had remained up there.

Breath catching, Garrus thought heart was going to beat its way right through his plates at the sight of her. The blue of her dress matched his clan colors perfectly as it fluttered around her body in three tears of sheer fabric. The shell beneath clung to her body and shimmered with her moments. He noticed the pale blue wrap draped over her collarbones and trailing down her back. It hid her bondmark perfectly and realized that must have been Nana and Sol's doing. Sol would have known how traditional their father was. She would have insisted Shepard cover the mark until after the ceremony.

Shepard and Anderson stopped on the landing long enough for Glyph to float up and take a photo. The smile on her face was breathtaking. Garrus had to remind himself to breath as she and the admiral continued down the stairs. It took minutes only for her to reach him, but to him it felt like hours as he took in every detail of her appearance.

Anderson took his hand and placed Shepard's in it the moment they stopped before him. He barely noticed, his sense were entirely tuned to her. His entire world had shrunk down to the human female before him who's outer beauty now seemed to mirror the glow of the inner beauty he had taken note of so long ago.

“Hey...” he said softly when he was able to breathe again.

“Hey.” Shepard caressed his scarred cheek and mandible.

Anderson was standing before them delivering the human equivalent of a bonding ceremony. Garrus barely noticed that either. His sub-harmonics were singing with promises of love and devotion as he locked eyes with her. Mandibles twitching, he raised a gloved talon to her face, tracing it along her cheekbone to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

When his father nudged his arm, he jumped and glared at the male. The nod he received drew a faint frown across his face until his father spoke. “It's time, Garrus. Offer your bond-pledge to your mate.”

Garrus grunted and turned his attention back to Shepard. He had thought the words would be hard to drag from the depths of his soul. Instead, they flowed through his su-kor-a as easily as breathing. He realized he need only add the words verbally so the others could hear them. It was important that they hear them.

“Cherish me, as I cherish you. My heart will be your shield; my soul, your shelter; my body, your strength. I offer my love, all that I am and all that I will ever be. I will care for you, protect you, love you... till the end of my days. You'll never be alone.” Garrus poured his heart out to her, never batting an eye.


	73. Tango

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard and Garrus plan to meet up in the upper level bar while everyone else joins Anderson for drinks.

When he pressed his brow-plates to her forehead, she heard as much as felt his sub-harmonic song. It was a song, she had no doubt of that now. That odd mark on her forehead tingled in time to its resonance and she let out a hum of contentment. In that moment, all was right with her world. She was secure in the knowledge that Anderson had done all he could to ensure their bonding contract was legal. If the worst should happen, Garrus would have control over what happened to her remains. She trusted him to do the right thing.

“This calls for a proper celebration. Round everyone up and meet at the casino in ten. Drinks are on me.” Anderson patched through the apartment's comm system and announced happily.

“Meet me at the bar... twenty minutes, upper level. I've... got a couple of things to do first.” Garrus murmured before pressing his mouth plates to her lips.

Shepard waited until everyone else had left before opting to removed the sheer section of the dress, leaving only the satin shell. She silently thanked Nana for the foresight in the design she had chose. The hidden snaps released easily. She made her way to the casino on foot, glad that the shell of her wedding dress had a slit up one side to her hip. It made walking so much easier. The silver strappy heels were not her normal type of footwear by any means, however.

Once the reached the casino, she sighed in resignation as she glared up at the first flight of stairs. Slipping those heels off was sounding better with every passing second. Finally, she did just that and half jogged up the stairs. She did not slip the heels back on until she had reached the upper level bar they had agreed upon.

Lilfrey was on the dance floor showing off moves she would never have expected from a turian. Garrus was right, the woman was flexible. Frowning faintly, she glanced across the bar and spotted Joker at the far end talking to the asari bartender.

“I was _here_... when Cerberus attacked... and I don't remember seeing _you_.” the asari snipped at the man. “I _think_ I caught a glimpse of Commander Shepard fighting over by the elevator bay, though.”

“Well... yeah. Shepard was protecting the Council, but I had my own problems to deal with.” Joker stammered. When the asari frowned at him, he elaborated. “See, I was over by the docking bay near C-Sec headquarters...”

Shepard huffed a silent laugh as she crossed her arms and stood back, listening to the tale he spun for the asari. She rolled her eyes at how cheesy it sounded. When he came up with the line; 'it's jokin' time', she had to cover her mouth to prevent the snort of laughter that nearly erupted from her. _My god, Joker, you're a cringe worthy idiot.._.. She knew for a fact the mech he was talking about was still sitting in the warehouse awaiting authorization to be transferred to the Normandy. There was little chance it would ever happen, but she was not about to burst her bondmate's bubble over that dream.

“And that's pretty much how it happened... which is why you should comp my drinks.” Joker said, shifted his weight painfully.

The asari leaned on her elbows on the counter glaring at him. She took a breath as if considering it then said, “No.”

“Awe, come on!” Joker whined, dropping his head, hands firmly planted on the counter.

“I barely believe what they're saying about Shepard. _You?_ ” she leaned in a little closer, dropping her voice to a skeptical whisper. “I don't think so.”

“Ok.. trying not to be offended there. Look, if Shepard were here...” Joker chewed on his knuckle for a moment as he crossed his arms. He took a double take when she stepped into his line of sight. “Uh... Shepard. Hi.”

Shepard looked to the asari behind the counter and nodded to her, clasping her hands behind her back. “I'm Commander Shepard, and I'll _vouch_ for my pilot. Jeff Moreau is a hero. Everyone in this room owes him their lives, _myself_ included.”

“I'm... _so_ sorry, Commander. I had no idea.” The bartender stood up straight with a nearly frightened look on her face. She nodded to Joker then, “Drinks are on me.”

“Uh... thanks, Commander.” Joker breathed as Shepard gave him a look that said 'we'll talk about this later'.

“The 'island of doctor... me'? Really, Joker?” Shepard said, stepping in close to the man and said in a low voice. “You can pay me back later.”

Shepard was about to head for the other end of the bar and wait for Garrus when she spotted Wrex heading their way. The krogan came up to the bar and leaned on the counter. If she did not know him better, she might have thought he was in pain.

“Wrex? What are you doin' here?” she asked, knowing he had left the apartment with the mention of 'things to do' after the ceremony.

“Ugh... escaping.” the krogan groaned as he planted his head on the counter between his hands. “I never thought curing the genophage would create so much... _work_.”

“Council riding you?” Shepard asked curiously.

“Bah!” Wrex said, pushing himself off the counter almost violently. “Not those pyjak shit-slingers. No, it's the...” he stepped in close and gave her a look as if requesting help. His voice was low when he spoke again. “It's the females, Shepard. Now that they're fertile again...” he banged his head into the bar counter again with another moan. “I haven't slept in... I don't know how long.”

“Can I get you two anything?” the other asari bartender came up to them with a concerned look on her face.

“Two more drinks, and another bag of ice.” Wrex groaned, not even bothering to look at the asari.

“I would've thought you'd be enjoying the... perks of krogan fertility.” Shepard desperately tried to keep the laugh out of her voice.

“Enjoying it?” he raised up and glared at her. “There's a line of females outside my dwelling right now! Stretches on for as far as you can see. I had to sneak out my own bathroom window! Even then, I was cornered by two more females on the ride from Tuchanka.”

“And it's just you? They're not _spreadin'_ the love around?” Shepard asked, covering her mouth for a moment to contain the laugh that was threatening to escape.

“Sure, but everyone one wants _their_ firstborn in generations to be strong and fit.” Wrex explained as if it were the most obvious concept in the galaxy. “I'm the leader of clan Urdnot. I brought an end to the genophage. Everyone on Tuchanka wants a _piece_ of me. And Bakara's no help at all. She _encourages_ it! I'm telling ya, Shepard. I'm in no shape to fight Reapers.”

“Aren't you in charge? They could at least hold off until after the war.” Shepard grumbled, barely managing to hide her laugh as she waved her hand at him.

Wrex banged his head into the counter's surface again. “You've never been stalked by a fertile krogan female, Shepard. There _is_ no holding _off_. Just... _holding_.”

“Here are you drinks... and a bag of ice.” the asari said as she slid the glasses in front of them. She set the bag of ice down in front of him.

Wrex lifted his head and blinked up at Shepard for a moment. She chuckled and turned her back on him, fairly certain he wanted a few seconds of privacy. The ice bag crinkled as he lifted it. He grunted and groaned as she heard the clasps of armor shift.

“And I thought _Mordin's_ procedure was painful...” Wrex grunted and shifted, every move producing a crinkling sound from the ice bag. “Ah, well...” he laughed and glanced at her when she cautiously turned back around. “Shit... Shepard. We sure have been through it, haven't we?”

“I think we're still goin' through it.” Shepard sighed with a nod as she thought of the coming fight and the Crucible.

“True.” Wrex laughed with a nod, attempting to settled himself on a barstool without causing more pain. He lifted his glass in toast then. “Well, here's to us! And to going through it.”

Shepard huffed a laugh and clinked her glass against his. “I'll drink to that.”

“Korbal!” Wrex grunted as he tossed back his drink and thumped the glass down on the counter. He glanced at her then, clearly realizing she had no idea what he had just said. “It means... victory or death, roughly.”

“Ah... but you can't die, Wrex...” Shepard laughed. “You got a family now. A _really... big... family_.”

“ _Ahhh... more_ ice!” the krogan groaned and thumped his head down on the counter, clinking the glasses close by together.

“I love you guys... Best damn team I've ever had.” Shepard crossed her arms and finally let that laugh loose. She pointed across the bar, near the dance floor with a nod. “Right now... I have a turian to meet over there.”

Wrex just groaned as she walked away. She settled herself on a barstool at the end of the bar and watched Lilfrey as she continued her energetic dancing. At first, Shepard thought she was alone. Then she saw James not far away. She smiled at the way he was eyeing the turian.

A flicker of movement caught her eye just beyond the turian woman. She glanced that way and spotted Garrus heading her way. He completely ignored Lilfrey as he passed her. The turian woman glared at him for a moment as he made his way to the commander.

“So... A turian on shore leave. You come here often?” Shepard breathed as he settled himself on the barstool beside her. She smiled at Lilfrey and the woman nodded, stepping back into her dancing.

“Is this that...um... first date thing we talked about?” Garrus asked, glancing around the bar. At her raised brow and nod, he squirmed a little. “Got it. Yes, yeah... Oh, I come here often. Hm... Good place to blow off steam...” he glanced toward Lilfrey practically gyrating on the dance floor. “Scenery's not bad either.”

Shepard glared at him for that one and cleared her throat, drawing his attention back to her.

“Though the view in front of me... is even better.” he purred, eyes locked to her with a spark of mischief.

“Huh... that's supposed to melt a girl's heart?” she asked, leaning an elbow on the counter and placing her chin in her hand.

“No, but this voice is...” he dropped his voice to a purring growl and leaned forward, resting his arm on the counter. “I'm Garrus Vakarian. _Codename:_... Archangel. All-around turian _bad_ boy and dispenser of _justice_ in an unjust galaxy.” he took a breath and blinked at her as if he were searching for the next big thing to say. “Also... I kill Reapers on the side. And you are?”

“Commander Shepard...” she purred lazily at him. “Alliance Navy.”

Garrus drew in a sharp breath at that. She had to fight the smile from tugging at the corners of her mouth. He was too good at this. “ _Shepard_ , huh? I might have heard a... _few_ things about you.”

“Flatter me, but... if they're naughty, they're probably true.” she said in a coy tone, glancing sideways at him.

“Word is... you're smart. _Sexy_. A wicked shot. Also, you kill Reapers on the side, too.” Garrus shifted, resting his elbows on his knees for a moment. He dropped his voice to a purring whisper with the last. “But... I'm looking forward to finding out if the rest is true.”

“Uh-huh? And do most girls fall for that?” Shepard asked, barely noticing the change in the music's beat.

“Well sure, you know, this voice, and uh... and uh... I'm running out of banter here, Shepard.” he stammered, losing the momentum he had gained.

“Make it up. Remember, we just met.” she suppressed a chuckle at his awkward squirming.

“Right. Yeah, I mean... Yeah, all the girls fall for it. Let me show you...” he purred and grabbed her hand as he stood, glancing around for some sort of queue.

“Wha... what are you doing?” Shepard asked surprised and held up a finger at his insistent tug.

“It'll be _fun._ ” he half growled, his mandibles flared in a smile as he tugged her off the barstool.

“Oh, no. No-no-no-no... no!” Shepard squawked as he hauled her out onto the dance floor.

With a precise snap of his wrist, he had her in front of him. She glared at him as she put her hand on his shoulder. He lead her in a basic step, in time to the music. As she listened, she recognized a version of the tango and growled. _Nana.._.

“Been taking lessons on the side.” he admitted softly.

“You're gonna _pay_ for this later.” she growled, but there was no bite to her words.

“Promises, promises...” he said smugly, guiding her in a few more steps before spinning her out across the floor.

Shepard missed the queue to return. It had been several years since Nana had taught her this dance and she was not entirely sure she remembered it well enough to perform it now. He gently gripped her wrist and tugged her back to him, leading her in a couple more steps. She recognized a specific queue, a twist of his hip and blocked his foot. It overbalanced him and she held onto him as he glared at her.

A couple more steps and he twirled her. She came around and pushed him back with a few steps of her own before dragging her leg up his toward his hip. He took the queue and stepped back, taking her with him in a seductive set. There were oohs and ahs around the dance floor then as the crowd took notice.

After a few seconds and a wicked flaring of his mandibles, he stepped them out of the set and back into the dance proper. She slid her foot behind his, locking their knees for a second before dragging it up the back of his leg. A few steps around the floor later and she let out a giggle as she kicked the other leg up behind his.

“Now you're getting it.” he purred and continued moving with her.

Shepard hardly noticed that everyone else had ceased moving on the dance floor. The two of them had become the main attraction. He spun her out again and she turned, dragging her fingers down inches from her face, wiggling one finger in a 'come here' motion.

“You know... they call the tango the dance of love.” she breathed near his ear pore as they moved around the floor.

“Appropriate description.” he purred, moving her through a few more steps.

The music was nearing its end and he twisted in the final set. She dragged her leg around behind her, then drew it forward and hooked it behind his. He performed the dip flawlessly.

“So... tell me. Think a girl would fall for that?” Garrus purred as he held her in that position for a moment.

“Oh hell yes... just so long as it's the girl in your arms right now.” Shepard said as he drew her back up just a little. She smiled then. “I see you've been putting that reach and flexibility to good use.”

“You know it. And it gets even better when you try it in bed.” he half purred, half growled tipping his head and raising a brow-plate. His mandibles flared in that wicked smile that sent her heart racing as he continued to hold her in that finale frame a moment longer.


	74. Party Favors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus is determined to have a little time alone with his mate, but the party and their guests have other ideas.

“Let's get out of here.” Garrus whispered to his bondmate, his nose plates scrunching up as a look of mischief pinned itself to his face. He brought her easily back to an upright position as she dropped her foot to the floor. “We can continue this dance... in private.”

“Anxious to try something new?” she asked with that lopsided smile that drove him over the edge of sanity.

“Hmm...” he hummed as he pressed his face against her neck. Garrus had not realized dancing with her like this would get him so worked up. Already his plates were attempting to shift. “You know it.”

“I still owe you for dragging me out on the dance floor.” Shepard grumbled as she took his hand and guided him toward the stairs.

“And... I'm anxious to... _repay_ that indulgence.” he purred, never moving more than a few inches away from her as they made their way down the stairs.

It did not take them long at all to return to the apartment. As they entered, they both noticed Grunt was standing there, staring at the intercom with a big grin. The krogan seemed a little too sure of himself and Shepard must have noticed it.

Garrus frowned at the screen before the krogan. He had noticed small group behind them, but he had not thought they were following them. At least not until the krogan told them they could not come in. That bothered him just a bit and he fidgeted at Shepard's side.

“How's it goin' over here?” Shepard asked Grunt the second he blanked the screen.

“You can't come in. Go away.” the krogan growled at the screen when it lit up again. He turned toward her a moment later. “It's going good.”

“I can see that. Anyone interesting trying to get in?” she smiled at Grunt while Garrus stepped over toward the glass cased wall that contained the living room plants.

“Not really. No.” Grunt growled and glanced back at the screen with an evil little laugh. “Get lost.” he tapped his omni-tool and glared at the batarian's face who appeared next. “No.”

Garrus watched with a smug smile flaring his mandibles as Shepard crossed her arms and leaned back on one foot. She took a breath and nodded toward the screen. “You should maybe let me decide that.”

“Huh? Ok, but I'm telling you, it's ugly out there.” Grunt chuckled as he glanced back at her.

“It can't be that bad.” Shepard sighed. Uncrossing her arms, she stood a little straighter when the screen lit again. “Hello?”

“Is this Commander Shepard? Oh my god! Oh my god! I can't believe it's you!” one of the girls squealed and Shepard flinched.

“Groupies, Shepard...” Garrus purred and put a hand on her shoulder as he stepped in behind her.

Shepard stared at them with a deadpan expression before glancing back at the krogan. “Grunt... keep up the good work.”

“Will do.” Grunt hummed happily before turning back to the groupies screaming on the screen. “I told you already... No.”

“I'll leave you to it.” Shepard huffed a laugh.

“I've never been to a human party before. I've had lots to drink... and look at me! I'm still standing.” Grunt laughed.

“Just how much... is 'lots'?” Garrus asked, unable to contain his curiosity.

“Ever seen a krogan drink so much they got sick on your floor?” Grunt laughed, his eyes narrowing on them both. “I'm here to make sure that dream comes true!”

“Spirits...” Garrus sighed and pinched the soft tissue behind his nose plates. “More like... a nightmare.”

“I can stop bullets with my _mind!_ Yeeeaaaah!” Grunt roared happily.

“Once maybe....” Garrus groaned.

“You guys...” Grunt slurred. It was obvious the booze was really working on him now. He slung one arm over Shepard's shoulders and the other over the turian's and squeezed them to him. “ _Mama... Pops_... I _love_ you guys. No, no, _listen_ , ok. No _really_... I'm... uh... gonna be _sick_...”

“Ugh... _oh god!_ ” Shepard gasped as the krogan sagged between them and practically hurled a lake of booze in front of the door.

“That's... um... that's just... _wonderful_ , Grunt.” Garrus choked back a gag.

“Yeah...” the krogan sighed and released them, wobbling toward the stairs. “I'm... gonna lie down. Might happen again.”

Glyph floated over to them the moment Grunt thumped up the stairs. “I will activate the cleaning unit.”

“Don't worry about it. Eezo's got it.” Jack said from the doorway.

“Who's... Eezo?” Shepard said slowly, turning to face the woman.

“My rescue varren.” Jack said simply.

Garrus groaned and shook his head as they both saw the animal lapping the last of the puddle up. The turian's eyes widened as the 'dog' looked up happily a moment later and bounded toward Shepard. It bowled her over before he could grab her and move her out of its path.

“ _Oh my god_... oh... I need a shower after this.” Shepard howled as the varren licked her face. “That's so disgusting. You were just _eating_ krogan _vomit!_ ”

“Yeah, he does that.” Jack purred and snapped her fingers at the varren. The second the 'dog' jumped off Shepard, Jack knelt and roughed up its jowls. “Who's a good boy?”

“Definitely... _not_ him.” Garrus grumbled as he helped his bondmate back to her feet.

“I need a drink... a really _hard_ drink. This party just got _way_ too real.” Shepard sighed and headed toward the bar counter across the room.

Garrus followed her, taking note of Jack heading toward Miranda at the smaller bar. He frowned when the woman took a seat on a barstool, but thought little of it. Turning his attention, instead, to the bottle of dual chirality wine Shepard had found. The turian's attention only returned to Jack and Miranda the moment he heard raised voices on the other side of the wall.

“So... you're _leading_ the Grisom Academy students.” Miranda was saying.

“Yeah... that a problem?” Jack growled.

“Just a surprise. Your psyche profile suggested you were mainly interested in yourself.” Miranda stated coldly.

“You're telling _me_ , I'm only interested in myself? Haha... Oh, that's just fuckin' perfect.” Jack snarled, clasping her hands before her face. “Did it occur to you that I might be trying to grow as a fuckin' person?”

“Oh... I could tell you were growing. I assumed so, at least, given... whatever that is you're wearing.” Miranda said, leaning on the counter.

“It's an improvement over the leather belt. Probably not a good idea to show off your rack on a maximum security prison ship, but hey...” Jack barked.

“I've never had the... pleasure.” Miranda sneered.

“You wouldn't survive. You'd probably break a nail.” Jack grumbled.

“You have no idea what I'm capable of.” Miranda growled.

“You're a spoiled, rich girl, cheerleader.” Jack growled.

“Victim.” Miranda fired back.

“Test tube clone princess.” Jack was getting creative now.

Shepard stepped past Garrus, glaring at the two women and shook her head. Garrus saw it coming. He was not sure exactly what was about to happen, but he knew that look. Whatever it was, he was living for it.

Shepard picked up the champagne bottle sitting on the counter between them and appeared to be studying it for a moment. Garrus noticed how she handled it, carelessly, clearly shaking it a bit. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it a second later with a wide flare of his mandibles. _This could be... incredible_.

Before the thought had completely formed, Shepard popped the cork and hosed the women down with the contents of the bottle. Both shrieked and glared at her. He was surprised they had not taken hold of their biotic abilities in the process.

“Do I have your attention?” Shepard breathed, glancing between them. “ _Good.._. You two have been at each others throats for over a year. Either _kill_ each other... or _fuck_... I don't really care, just _work it out!_ ”

Jack laughed, Miranda gasped and Garrus could only stare, his sub-harmonics practically screaming in something boarding hysteria. He choked out a laugh when Jack glanced at Miranda with a very faint nod and a raised eyebrow. Miranda just glared at her.

“I'm in favor of them getting together... but that's just my opinion.” Kasumi said, de-cloaking beside Shepard briefly before disappearing again.

“Not helping, Kasumi.” Garrus grumbled, but there was a laugh in his voice.

“I thought I was.” Kasumi's laugh was disembodied and moving toward the living room.

Shepard shook her head, stepping back out of the room toward the living room and stairs. She missed a step when a champagne filled balloon exploded against the side of her face. The elaborate network of curls the other women had worked so hard on drooped, dripping with the alcohol. She looked up in the direction that balloon had come sailing from with a glare.

“Crap...” Garrus breathed, realizing their 'fun' would have to wait. Their guests were still far too amped up.

Shepard still carried the second bottle she had snatched from between Miranda and Jack, her thumb over the opening. She reached back and handed him the dual chirality wine as she began to shake the other bottle vigorously.

“Commander... you know... I wasn't aiming for you.” Traynor whined, her hands up in an effort to prevent what was about to transpire.

“Really? Well, I wouldn't wanna ruin that dress.” Shepard sighed and started to turn.

Garrus saw it coming from the evil smile spreading across her face. His bondmate turned back an instant later and removed her thumb from the top of the bottle. Traynor shrieked as she was drenched in champagne.

“I think we're even now.” Shepard sighed in satisfaction, stepping away from the scene of the 'crime'. She bent down and yanked the heels off her feet and half jogged up the stairs.

Garrus wasted no time following her. They barely made it to the top when they spotted Liara, Jacob, Lilfrey and Vega all standing around on the balcony. He caught a few pieces of the conversation and realized Shepard would not be able to walk away from it.

“Absolutely, biotics are impressive, I'm not saying they aren't.” Vega was saying, arms crossed as he leaned on the railing.

“You're just saying that they aren't _that_ impressive.” Liara groused, rubbing her temples as if she had a hell of a headache.

“I'm sayin' anything, I'm just sayin'...” Vega barked and stepped away from the railing. “ _Aw_... shit.”

“No... it's fine. I'm sure no one here is insulted.” Liara said sweetly.

“Only a little.” Lilfrey sighed.

“Maybe.” Jacob said casually.

“What _are_ you trying to say, Jimmy?” Lilfrey purred, crossing her arms as her mandibles flickered in an effort to maintain a straight face.

“I'm just sayin'... What I'm tryin' to say is... I mean, check out these guns.” Vega stammered and struck a bodybuilder's pose to show off his physique. “Biotics can't give you this kind of _fine_ instrument, the _peak_ physical form that you see before you.”

“Ok, you worked for it. I get that.” Jacob conceded.

“I mean it. Check. Me. Out.” Vega said, crossing his arms.

“While you are.... a _very_ impressive specimen of humanity... seeing, isn't always believing.” Lilfrey's sub-harmonics sang seductively.

Garrus raised a brow-plate and put a hand on Shepard's shoulder. He knew that pitch in her voice and sub-harmonic tones. There was no question in his mind that she and Vega really were blowing off steam together now.

“Is there... _more_ to your argument?” Liara asked softly.

“Come on in closer. Don't be shy.” Vega teased.

Jacob huffed a laugh at that. “Yeah, don't be shy.”

“Everyone play nice.” Shepard laughed and crossed her arms, reaching up to gently caress one of the turian's fingers on her shoulder.

“Of course, Shepard. James was just explaining how physical conditioning trumps biotics.” Liara crossed her arms and gave a half grumble.

“ _Really?_ You goin' there, James?” Shepard asked.

“Commander.” he spread his hands, clearly trying to figure a way out of the trap that was closing around him. “Just listen. Biotics are strong, but unpredictable – all that cooling down...”

“Shepard, where did you find this guy?” Jacob laughed.

“A person can _improve_ their physique. But biotics? They are what they are.” James glanced toward Lilfrey with a sympathetic look. “And what about our poor friends, stuck with flawed implants?”

“ _Excuse me?_ ” Lilfrey growled, eyes narrowing at that. “I know that you are not referring to me, James Vega! Improvement is possible... even for an L2!”

“Ok... ok.” James held up his hands in surrender. “Maybe it's not _conditioning_... exactly. Maybe it's just the condition of one James Vega.” Vega struck yet another pose before waving a hand at the asari across from him. “Hey, Liara? Check it out. This guy here never has to cool down! In fact, the hotter, the better.”

“We're still talking about combat.... _right?_ ” Lilfrey crossed her arms and glared at the man.

“Hilarious.” Jacob laughed.

“James, this is a no-brainer. Biotics win hands down. We're talking about harnessing dark energy here.” Shepard said with a shake of her head.

“Yeah... I hear ya.” James groaned.

“Look around you. You had to know that was an argument you couldn't win.” Shepard snickered.

“I still say these guys are better conditioned...” Vega grumbled.

“I could float you off this balcony without breaking a sweat.” Liara laughed after downing whatever she was drinking.

“Oh I now you _could_ , but do you have cojones to actually do it? _Any_ of you?” James asked as he stumbled just a bit.

Jacob laughed at that. “What a guy. Buckle up, brother.”

A moment later, Liara raised a hand and James was surrounded by shimmering blue energy. She lifted him easily. “Remember... you asked for this.”

“You ok, James?” Shepard asked, smiling hugely and crossing her arms.

“Yeah....” James laughed. “This is trippy. I'm kinda buzzin' all over.”

“Exactly! Nice, isn't it? I can feel that way on a whim.” Jacob stated with a nod.

“Do you find it... relaxing?” Liara asked.

“Uh... kinda... among other things.” James said, glancing down.

“You're being so... gentle, Liara.” Lilfrey crossed her arms and glared up at the man. Her voice was flat when she asked. “Can I have a turn?”

“Hey...” Vega glanced her way and paled just a little.

“Is that... what I think it is?” Garrus whispered near Shepard's ear as he drew her attention to Vega's shoulder, just above his collar line.

“I'm gonna need my _whole_ crew back in the morning...” Shepard said with a nod. The moment Vega was back on his feet, she stepped a little closer to him and hooked a finger into the collar of his shirt. “You're a shameless flirt, James. I'm surprised you held still long enough for Lil to bondmark you.”

“Well.. you know...” James said nervously and rubbed a hand over the new mark. “She gets me.”

“I'm glad somebody does.” Shepard laughed. “Make an honest man of him, Lilfrey.”


	75. 'Baby-proofing'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus is left to his own devices... with an asari infant on his hip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I blame valeria1314151611 for prompting this chapter/idea... lol

“The two of you aren't gettin' off the hook _that_ easy.” Nana grumbled as they attempted to pass through the upper sitting area.

“Nana...” Shepard practically gasped, startled.

Garrus groaned inwardly as he saw his bondmate's eyes lock on the elder asari sitting on the couch. Nana was bouncing Lydera on her knee gently. The child was drooling and blowing spit bubbles happily.

“This little one needs your attention, you know,” Nana said as she stood with the baby. Her tone softened a fraction. “She should know at least _one_ of her parents. Doesn't she deserve a little of your time, dear?”

“I'm... uh... going to...” Garrus began, tossing a thumb over his shoulder. The words trailed off and he froze at the look the asari gave him.

“I don't expect either of you to commit to raising her. An asari child needs fifty years to grow to full maturity. But this is your bond-daughter now, boy, and you should at least...” Nana's tone shifted to a purr as she glanced down at the child with a smile. She snatched a glob of drool from the child's lips with a finger. “...get to know her... just a little.”

Sub-harmonics rumbling softly in frustration, Garrus heard Shepard let out a faint sigh of resignation as well. Their time alone would have to wait a little longer, he realized. Nana was right, the little one did deserve some attention. Between the two asari, Lydera had been no better than a footnote in their personal logs since she had been rescued from Thessia.

With a quick nod, he noted Shepard was about to reach for the baby, but Garrus stepped forward, hands out and wiggling to the elder before she got the chance. When Nana glared at him, he tilted his head to the side and huffed a sigh of frustration. “Come on, Natearus. It won't be the first time I've held an infant. I'm not going to break the kid.”

The asari gave him a sideways look before reluctantly passing the child into his waiting hands. “I'll be downstairs... making sure your father doesn't _poison_ himself with horosk.”

“ _Spirits._.. he's been hitting that stuff hard most of the evening,” Garrus grumbled as he tucked the child against his side, her rump resting on his hip crest.

“I'll look after him...” Nana nodded and stepped away, heading toward the stairs.

“So... now what?” Shepard asked the moment the asari was out of earshot.

“We... figure out... parenthood?” Garrus suggested, mandibles flaring slightly.

Lydera gurgled and giggled at that, smacking her hands on the rim of his cowl. The thump of her little hands was more of a pleasant vibration. He watched Shepard's reaction for a moment. It was clear she could not help the smile that spread across her face. She must know his sub-harmonics were causing the giggles.

Closing the small distance between them, she put one hand on his scarred mandible. He noticed she allowed the child to grip the fingers of other before she whispered. “I think fatherhood suits you.”

Garrus hummed, his mandibles flaring a little and Lydera giggled, babbling on his hip. He looked the child over with a nod. “I think she likes the vibration.”

“She does.” Shepard nodded before the sound of a salarian's voice carried through the apartment. Her eyes widened the second they both recognized that voice. A slow smile spread across her face and she breathed his name. “ _Mordin.._.”

  
  


“Krogan bouncer... appropriate. Congealing pools of vomit... disturbing.” the salarian complained from downstairs. The sound of Jack's varren snorting drew their attention sharply. “Pregnant varren... _hungry_. Attending party now – questionable.”

  
  


Garrus chuckled, his mandibles flaring in a wide smile as he locked eyes with his excited bondmate. “Go.. I've got this.”

“You're sure?” Shepard asked and glanced between him and the baby.

The turian nodded with a hum and watched her turn to race down the stairs. He let out a sigh and locked eyes with the child on his hip. His voice softened just a little as he spoke to her. “What do you say.... we _secure_ the apartment?”

Lydera giggled and blew spit bubbles as she waved her arms happily.

“I'm going to take that as a 'yes'.” Garrus purred and turned toward the stairs himself.

Bouncing the little one lightly on his way down the stairs, he drew more giggles and squeals out of her. He clicked his tongue and snapped his mandibles to his jaw in an alternating rhythm the moment they were on a flat surface again. The sounds drawing a coo out of her as her eyes focused sharply on his face. She squealed and babbled, reaching for his mandibles a moment later. He kept them well out of her reach as he stopped before that giant panel of glass that encased the household plants. Running a hand over the glass, he thought how best to rig it to prevent someone from gaining access to the apartment. Glancing to his left, he spotted Shepard along with several of the others practically swarming the salarian doctor.

“What do you think? Micro-filament here?” he purred at the baby on his hip. At her coo, he nodded. “You're right. It needs to be _small_ , hard to spot. A five by five grid across the glass.”

Lydera blew more bubbles and squeezed the rim of his cowl through the fabric of his tunic at that.

“Hmm.. how about a _twelve by twelve_ grid of filament? Tiny cluster detonators....” he nodded to himself and purred at the child on his hip. “ _That._.. would provide _maximum_ impact.”

Lydera squealed and giggled at that. He knew it was his voice and the vibration of his sub-harmonics, but his mandibles flared in a smile nonetheless. The turian did not notice Shepard making her way over to him until she spoke.

“Alright, Garrus. I gotta know....... What are you doin'?” she sighed and waggled a finger in front of the little one. “Everything ok with her?”

“Oh... nothing. We're just admiring the... _polish_ on this glass.” Garrus breathed with a hum and glanced down at Lydera. “Isn't that right, squirt?”

“Uh-huh... what are you _really_ doing?” Shepard asked.

“Oh... um... _baby-proofing_...” Garrus glanced around thoughtfully for a moment. “You know... one man's decorative glass wall fixture is another man's _explosive_ glass wall fixture.”

“ _Explosive?_ ” she asked incredulously.

“It's your first line of defense.... _in_... case another clone shows up.” he flicked his mandibles at the infant on his hip. His voice rose an octave as he hummed to the child. “What do you think? Should we rig mommy's refrigerator? Hm? Or the kitchen sink? Maybe a cyanide trap?”

“No. Just... no. The apartment's fine.” Shepard held up a hand to stop him.

“ _Fine_ is alright for everyone else, but _not_ for the love of my life.... or my bond-daughter,.” he grumbled as he locked eyes with her. “Shepard, _sweetie_... _indulge_ your _crazy_ bondmate. I need to be sure you're _safe_.”

“Alright... just... try not to scratch the finish on that polish.” she started to turn away and held up a finger, glancing back at him. “And _don't_ teach her any bad habits.”

Garrus huffed a laugh at that and took the baby's wrist between his fingers, waving her arm at Shepard's retreating back. “We're not learning bad habits, are we, squirt? We're learning _defensive_ strategies.”

Lydera squealed, babbling and giggling at his tone. He nodded, clicking his tongue and making her wave her arms in delight. Huffing a laugh, he looked around and nodded as he made his way into the kitchen. “I think if we moved the Normandy's battery into this place... I'd be home... With _maybe_ a couple more defensive measures.”

“Garrus Vakarian... with... asari infant... on hip. Something you wish to discuss?” Mordin asked as the turian stopped by the kitchen island.

“Uhh...” Garrus thought he sounded like a buzzing vorcha in that moment as his jaw dropped slightly. He looked around for an escape this bit of awkwardness. “I was just... um... baby-proofing the place.”

“Doesn't resemble Liara. Not yours. Doesn't carry typical turian genetic adjustments. Shares Shepard's eyes and cheekbones. Resembles Consort as well.” Mordin mumbled to himself, tapping a finger to his lower lip. He stepped in closer to get a better look at the girl.

“Yeah... about that...” Garrus began.

“Unplanned, unknown, I assume. Three-year-old asari... most likely born after launch of first Normandy then. Consort left the Citadel... unexpectedly... suspicious... during Shepard's hunt for Saren.” Mordin nodded to himself, clearly confirming the idea.

“Yeah...” Garrus nodded and clamped his mandibles tight to his face for a minute. “The Consort didn't... uh... she didn't have Shepard's permission....”

“Understandable, regrettable situation. Still... child not at fault.” Mordin murmured.

“ _Mordin_... I wondered where you ran off to.” came Shepard's voice as she entered the kitchen behind the salarian.

Garrus breathed a silent sigh of relief at the disruption of the awkward conversation. He had no desire to get into the details of what the Consort had clearly done, at least not with the salarian. Mordin would chew on that idea for hours if they let him.


	76. Perfect Timing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A family photo and some alone time ensue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reader Discretion is advised beyond the mid-point of page 2. Feel free to skip past the chapter from that point if you're not comfortable reading alien sex. You won't miss anything critical to the story.
> 
> Long chapter with dual pov.

“Shepard! Front and center, soldier! You can't have a wedding reception without a family portrait!” came Anderson's yell from downstairs.

“I'd rather be half-naked, completely _alone,_ and rolling shamelessly on a couch with you.” Garrus hummed near her ear as she turned back toward the living room.

“The night is still young, lover. We have time.” Shepard breathed as she pulled his face down against hers.

Shepard was surprised to see everyone file into the living room and take up the positions Anderson directed them into. She never realized he would be so good at organizing people by their heights. Smiling, she realized this was going to be a great picture. She and Garrus followed Anderson's directions and took a seat on the couch snuggled against each other. The turian settled Lydera into her lap a moment before draping his arm around her.

It did not take long to get everyone situated. Anderson stood behind them, his hands on the back of the couch when Glyph directed their attention to the front of the room. Shepard glanced around the room and smiled at her 'family'. It did not matter that half of them were of different species. What mattered was the bond they all shared.

“Ok, everyone. Say 'Normandy'.” Shepard said as she faced Glyph once more. Her heart skipped a beat when they all called it out and Garrus squeezed her just a little tighter.

The second Glyph snapped the picture, everybody started moving around again. Taking her hands and pulling her to her feet, Garrus purred, “Time we... slipped off for a... _private_ celebration.”

“What about the little one?” she breathed as she hoisted the child up in her arms.

“That's easy. I'll take her.” Solana bubbled as she seemed to pop up out of nowhere at their side. The turian reached out for the baby with a wide flare of her mandibles. She babbled in perfect baby chatter as the commander shrugged and handed the child over.

Shepard gave Garrus that lopsided smile she reserved just for him a moment later and allowed him to guide her toward the stairs. There were a couple of comments made as they retreated, but she did not catch them, nor did she care to. She was ready for the quiet of their room.

The second they stepped into the bedroom, Garrus opened his omni-tool and queued up the tango music from the bar. His mandibles flared when he made eye contact with her again. His voice was a seductive growl as he stepped in close and wrapped an arm around her waist. “How about an encore performance?”

“I think I can do that, but... there's no dance floor in here.” she matched his seductive tone, moving with him in tandem.

“Who said we needed a dance floor?” he growled and nuzzled into her neck.

Shepard let out a soft gasp as he nipped her bondmark and trailed nibbles up the side of her neck. He kept them moving the entire time and she threw a leg up over his hip crest. Garrus dipped her and ran his tongue up her sternum as he brought her back up. Her hands found the seals of his tunic and made short work of them as they moved. A tremble passed through her when he slowly unzipped her dress.

*

It did not take very long for their clothes to end up scattered across the room as they moved. His plates were already shifting as she brushed against them regularly. It was driving him wild and he barely maintained the dance steps. He had a plan and he was determined to do this right. When she drew her leg up to his hip crest the second time, he stepped back, much the same as he had in the bar. His plates shifted completely open and the angle was nearly perfect. He moved just a fraction as his erection slid free of his sheath. A gasped growl erupted from his throat at the sensation of entering her. It was almost more than he could handle and his knees shook.

“We should... try this in bed,” Shepard murmured against his neck as she clung to him, drawing her leg up tightly around him.

Humming a response, Garrus carefully shifted them toward the bed. He dropped onto the edge of the bed when his knees finally gave out, carrying her with him. She threw back her head and cried out in pleasure when the force of the drop drove him deeper within her. He twisted a fraction and snatched the pillows on the bed behind him. Tucking them beneath his neck, he allowed himself to drop backward onto the mattress, his fringe just inches above it.

Garrus allowed her the advantage of the position and scooted further onto the bed. The instant she had enough leverage, she rocked her hips against him. He let out a guttural growl at the sensations she drove through his nervous system. His hips bucked against hers of their own accord as she set the pace. He wrapped his hands around her hips, mindful of his talons, and ran his thumbs over the edges of her hip bones. Her breath came a little quicker and she ran a hand up over her head, gripping her own hair. A near sob of ecstasy escaped her even as she upped the tempo.

*

Shepard was chasing that release hard. She had not realized dancing the tango with Garrus, or any form of dance, for that matter, could get her so worked up. There was a fever raging through her and it had his name all over it. She gripped her own hair, half burying her face in the bend of her arm as she rose up, dropped, and rolled her hips against his. His growls and moans of pleasure drove her into a near frenzy. She ignored the rub of his plated thighs against her own thighs. There would be some chafing, but she would deal with that later. Right now, all that mattered was their interlocking pleasure.

Increasing her speed, she shivered as that pleasure climbed higher through her nerves. His name was a shuddering breath on her lips. At the prompt of his name, he rolled upward to wrap his arms around her, proving that he was much more flexible than turians were generally given credit for. She pressed her lips to his mouth plates, gently licking at the soft tissue inside as he parted them. His tongue, drier and rougher than a human tongue, caressed the tip of hers. They breathed each other’s air as his hands gripped and massaged her rear, encouraging her to move faster.

Driving herself down hard and fast, she gripped his cowl, using it as leverage. His breath was coming in ragged gasps accompanied by clipped snarls and growls. He pressed his brow-plates to her forehead and locked eyes with her mere seconds before release ripped through him.

“ _Spirits..._.” he growled, inches from her lips. Her first name, a snarl that tore from his lungs as his body spasmed.

Shepard continued moving, rocking hard and fast for several more seconds. Her control shattered the second her release broke over her. She cried out his name and clung to him. A laugh of pure joy and release huffed out of her as she nuzzled into his neck.

*

When he found his voice again, Garrus nuzzled into her ear and purred. “Hmmmmm... was it good for you?”

“Oh _hell_ , yes,” she breathed before moving enough to shift up to her feet. She took his hands and pulled him up. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she gazed up at him and smiled. “I have an idea.”

“Hmm...” he rumbled as she guided him toward the hot tub in the offshoot of the room. His eyes widened a little when he realized where she was taking him. “Shepard...”

“It'll be fun.” She threw his earlier words back at him and he let out a low rumble. “Don't worry, I've _got_ you.”

“I... uh... I don't...” he stammered and rubbed the back of his neck as she stepped down into the water.

“ _C'mon_... I'm not gonna let you drown. It's only waist deep for _me..._ standing up. It's... maybe... _thigh_ deep for you. _Trust_ me.” she said, holding out her hands to him as she backed toward the center of the tub.

Letting out a sigh of resignation, Garrus finally shrugged. “Alright... I trust you, Shepard.”

Cautiously, he stepped down into it and sat on the edge for a couple of minutes, surveying the water. He could not say he was comfortable with this idea of hers, but he meant to try it. The water bubbling around his calves was pleasantly warm, almost enjoyable. He could see the appeal as he eased himself off the edge and into the water, stepping toward her. She was right, the water came up to about mid-thigh level. _This is new… not completely unpleasant. The water feels.... heavy.._.

Shepard smiled and fanned her hands out over the water. “See... it's not so bad.”

“ _Maybe._..” He still was not convinced.

His bondmate chose a spot on the step that ran around the inner wall of the tub and sat. He realized it doubled as a bench of sorts. She motioned him over and patted the edge of the tub beside her. There was no doubt in his mind that she meant for him to sit as well.

“I... uh...” there was a faint keen beneath his words and he knew she could hear it.

“It's ok, lover. Just have a seat. You'll see...” she encouraged.

After several minutes of debate with himself, Garrus finally sighed and stepped over to her. He turned, closed his eyes, and sat down stiffly. The hot water caressed the hide between his plates in a very soothing rhythm and he began to relax. Opening his eyes, he looked to his bondmate with an uncertain expression.

“Not so bad, is it?” she asked as she ran a hand over the rim of his cowl.

“It... uh... it's not as... _terrifying_... as I thought,” he admitted as he relaxed against the wall of the tub. The heat of the water and its rhythm as it lapped around him was oddly soothing.

“It's even better when you try those tango moves... in here,” Shepard said, twisting around and straddled him.

“Shepard...” his tone was one of warning. He was willing enough to sit in the water, but anything else might be pushing it a little too far.

“ _Relax_...” she breathed near his ear pore. “It's something new, but I promise it's not dangerous. I wouldn't suggest it if I didn't think you could handle it.”

Cautiously, he ran his hands up her sides and noticed the water gave her skin a more silken feel than normal. She had barely shifted against him and his plates began to open just a fraction again. Her hand caressed his seam encouragingly and he let out a rumble of appreciation. He still was not sure how he felt about this idea of hers, but he was definitely game for round two.

*

Shepard knew all the tricks that worked her mate into a frenzy. She pulled out all the stops in an effort to distract him from their current location. Getting him used to being in so much water was something she had hoped for the moment she saw the hot tub in the apartment. She knew it would be as good for his muscles and joints as it was for hers. Sex was just an added bonus, but she knew they might not be able to complete the act in the water. The friction and chafing could end up becoming too much. It did not mean she planned to stop right away.

Hovering over him, she virtually pinned him to the wrap-around bench. She was surprised his plates were shifting again so soon. The heat of the water and its relaxing qualities must really be working wonders on him. The second he slipped free of his sheath, she wrapped a hand around his ridges. His mandibles fluttered and twitched, his breath catching at her actions. He shuddered against her, nipping at her earlobe. She stroked him slowly, lavishing kisses and nips of her own across the muscles of his neck.

*

The moment Shepard started to shift away from him, he pulled her down onto his impatient erection. In the water, it was so much more intense than he had ever expected it would be. His mouth clamped down spasmodically on her bondmark and he growled raggedly. She started moving against him and the sensations drove all reason from his mind. He barely clung to a single thought, _It's too much...._

After a couple of minutes, he used his superior strength to haul them up out of the water. His foot slipped out from under him and he came down on the edge of the tub with an undignified wet slap of his leathery behind. Shepard giggled and he grumbled, bucking up into her hard enough to make her gasp in pleasure.

Garrus tugged her legs around his waist and managed to stand with her, carefully climbing up out of the tub. He was not thrilled with the idea of sex in the hot tub. That thing might be worth relaxing in later though. He dripped all the way to the bed and virtually dropped them on its surface. After a moment, he began exploring her wet skin with renewed interest. There was not an inch of her he meant to neglect tonight.

Nuzzling into her neck, he languidly ran his tongue from her ear to her collarbone, delighting in the soft sounds she made along the way. He let out a rumbling purr as she squirmed beneath him, but continued a trail down past the hollow of her throat. His mandibles flared when she tried to twitch away from him. He snickered at the faint gasp that escaped her when he found a ticklish spot just below her ribs with his neatly filed talons. Those he found curious. Turians, as a general rule, did not have such sensitive skin.

Shepard tried to wiggle away from him, her hands gently gripping the long spines of his fringe, but he continued along his path. Determination had taken him now. He meant to delight in her sweet torment. It was not often that she allowed him the freedom to tease her like this.

Garrus ran his tongue over the fascinating divot of her navel. She moaned softly, then inhaled sharply when he moved beyond it. He trailed his mouth plates along toward her right hip bone and lightly nipped at it. She squirmed, hips almost bucking in anticipation. His mandibles flared in a lazy smile, the tips grazing her skin. She was practically panting as he moved across her abdomen to the other hip bone. His sub-harmonics rumbled, a purely chaotic course of sound even as he tried to control his own baser needs.

“ _Please, Garrus…_ ” Shepard whispered desperately, the fingers of one hand caressing the edges of his skull plating.

The turian’s breath caught at that and he rested his brow-plates against her navel for a moment. It was a struggle to remain in control with her actions. He moved just out of her reach, shifting his head enough that his fringe was in the way. A chuckle rumbled out of his throat at her frustrated growl. _I know I’ll pay for this later, but right now… you’re at my mercy, ma-kee-sa_.

Brow-plates lowering in a faint frown, he noticed a slightly sweeter hint to her scent as he came within reach of his goal. She was practically vibrating with anticipation as he deliberately breathed across her. Recognition of that scent eluded him for the moment and he made a mental note of it. Rather than dwell on it and dampen the mood, he ran his tongue along the creases where her thighs met her groin.

*

Shepard issued a whining moan with each pass of his tongue. He was torturing her and she would pay him back once he released her. Eyes nearly rolling back in her head, she arched up off the bed when he finally ran his tongue up her center. A near sob of ecstasy rolled out of her throat as he continued.

Nerves burning with pleasure, she gripped the comforter in her fists, arching and bucking into his ministrations. The ‘glue’ of determination, stress, and command that held her together finally dissolved when she all but shattered with a wordless cry.

Garrus crawled up beside her, resting on one elbow and gazed at her, a smug look pinning itself to his face. He ran a talon lazily up and down her abdomen as she slowly collected herself again. She glanced at him and squeezed her eyes shut with a satisfied smile before shaking her head slightly.

“I… think you humans have a phrase for this… almost _melted_ state. Isn’t it… _a puddle?_ ” Garrus breathed quietly, his sub-harmonics rolling through him in a deeply satisfied purr.

“I’ll make you blush yet… just wait.” Shepard breathed quietly.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Birthday Danypooh80


	77. Sender Restricted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard receives an encrypted message from an unknown sender. The cryptic message is simple enough. The meeting is anything but.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I blame danypooh80 for what's revealed, a little sooner than planned, in this chapter... lol

Shepard woke to the back side of talons gently stroking the side of her face. She smiled and let out a contented sigh long before she ever opened her eyes. “What a night... I'm surprised you're still hanging out in bed.”

“I hung out in a lot of places last night. Your upper body, your _lower_ body... pretty much everywhere in between.” Garrus purred, a near seductive edge to his voice even now. He leaned in for a kiss and she obliged him eagerly.

“Turians certainly don't lack for a sense of direction.” Shepard sighed as he grazed his mandible along her jaw.

“And _you_... don't lack for places to get lost.” he breathed, nipping gently at her earlobe.

An omni-tool started pinging a moment later. The persistent tone drew a sigh of frustration from her lungs. She tried to snuggle into him and press for more of the attention he was bestowing upon her, but he had pressed his brow-plates firmly against her shoulder. A rumble, mirroring her frustration, wrung itself from his throat as he shook his head faintly.

“We should probably see who that is... see who's up too.” Shepard finally sighed as he raised up, caressing her arm along the way.

The omni-tool continued and she sat up, opening the message. Frowning, she tried to place who could have sent it. The information was encrypted and she was not a hacker. Showing it to Garrus, he just frowned and shook his head after a moment.

  
  


_Sender: <encrypted.nonparse.error-code.504>_

_Recipient: shepard.cmdr@alliance.39.44.852_

  
  


_Meet me at Armax Arena. Bring the AI. It needs the data I have on hand._

  
  


_< sender-restricted>_

  
  


“Can't crack the sender data. Must be someone with Spectre access. The encryption is too clean.” Garrus grumbled. He locked eyes with her for a moment, worry etching the tiny cracks in his facial plates even deeper. “I'll have your six. They won't even know I'm there.”

“What would I do without you?” Shepard smiled and ran a hand down the scarred side of his face in a gentle caress.

It did not take them long to dress. Garrus donned his armor instead of the civvies he had taken to wearing since they had entered the apartment. A small, sad sigh escaped her at that. It was a reminder that the war was not yet over. They were still in danger of losing everything. In a heartbeat, Reaper-spawn or some other atrocity could come sweeping in to kill any one of their tight knit group.

Most of the crew was up, but none seemed particularly animated just yet. All hungover by the look of them. “Mordin, hand out some aspirin. I need them functional.”

The salarian nodded from his place before the fireplace. She was surprised he was still here. Anderson had left right after the group photo. If luck was on his side, he should already be back on Earth and in command of his unit again. She could find no words to express how wonderful it had been to have him there for her bonding ceremony. Having him find and fix the 'error' with the contract was just the icing on the cake.

Shepard nodded at Garrus as they parted ways just outside the apartment corridor. Armax was just across the 'street' from The Tower. Already the place was buzzing with activity. She wasted no time slipping inside and checking the entryway for trouble. Heading down the stairs, she heard a high pitched reedy whistle issue from the ticket window to her left, nearest the stairs.

Frowning, she made her way over to the window, excusing herself as she bumped into a salarian along the way. The room beyond the window was dark, but she could see the figure moving around near the back. Turian and male by the length of his fringe. This male was shorter than Garrus by nearly a head and somehow familiar in the way he moved.

“You didn't bring the AI unit.” The dual-toned voice was rich and equally familiar, but she still could not place the male.

“Mechs aren't allowed in here.” Shepard stated and tried to get a better look at the figure concealed in shadow.

“Then I suppose, I'll have to relay the instructions through you, Commander.” he stated, clearly unconcerned.

“What instructions?” Shepard grumbled and leaned on the small shelf between them. “Who are you?”

“Someone... with a vested interest in your success.” The turian said quietly and stepped to the window, allowing the light of the arena's entrance to pool across his face.

“ _Nihlus!_ " Shepard gasped as she took in his shattered face. She noted the patch over his left eye and the missing brow-plate above it. The spines along that side of his head looked chewed and barely there. A shallow trench ran from just behind them, along his skull plate clear to the missing eye. “God, I thought you were _dead!_ ”

“I nearly was.” he hummed and nodded at her. “Your doctor had orders to keep me... how did they put it... 'on ice' until the hierarchy retrieved me. As I recall, nothing was ever said about retrieving a 'body'.”

“Technicalities.” Shepard grumbled with a nod.

“Those _technicalities_ convinced Saren that I was dead. And those very same technicalities allowed me to lend a hand to the construction of the Crucible. The moment I was well enough to resume my duties, I contacted Anderson.” Nihlus rumbled and opened his omni-tool. “But reunions are not the reason I am here.”

“Alright, I'll bite. Why _are_ you here?” Shepard crossed her arms and leaned back a fraction, glaring at the male. “You could have just messaged me and let me continue believing you were dead.”

“The servers are _not_ secure enough for the data I'm to give you. With Saren long dead, there is no more reason for me to remain in hiding anyway.” Nihlus stated, glancing back up at her briefly. He waved her closer and held his omni-tool out. “Sync your tool to mine.”

“And this will do... what... exactly?” Shepard asked suspiciously.

“Allow me to transfer data directly to your omni-tool. You _need_ this data. Or rather, your AI will.” he snapped impatiently. When she did not move, he looked up at her again and let out a frustrated sigh. “The Crucible has the potential to destroy all AI algorithms in the galaxy. _Every. Last. One._ Of them. Your ship's AI is not immune. It will not survive without this algorithm..”

Shepard stared at him a moment longer before shaking her head and opening her omni-tool for the transfer. “Just how do you know all this, anyway?”

“Does it matter?” Nihlus grumbled.

“I think it does.” Shepard allowed the transfer reluctantly as she glanced back up at him. “You played dead… for three years, Nihlus. Didn’t consider what that might do to those around you, did you?”

The turian before her snorted a faint sigh of frustration and closed down his omni-tool. His one green eye locked to hers, blinking for a few seconds. “I suppose I didn’t need to remain in the shadows this long. I told you once before, I work better alone.”

“Not good enough. I thought we were friends. You were on the SR-1 for weeks evaluating me, training me and sparring with me.” Shepard shook her head in irritation. “I _mourned_ you, dammit. We _all_ did.”

“I was there to evaluate you, nothing more. Training you in methods to take down one of my kind was imperative to the mission. _You_ required the knowledge and the skills, _I_ imparted the techniques.” Nihlus said simply, his eye staring at some point just to the side of her face. “My 'death' was... a necessary implication.”

“And… you’re _full_ of shit. You never could look me in the eye when you started _implying_ bullshit. Can’t lie to save your ass.” Shepard fought the tug of a smile at the corners of her mouth. She pushed back from the ticket booth and dropped her hands to her sides.

“Still very astute, as always.” Nihlus breathed a faint laugh.

“Come out of there, asshole. Come back to the Normandy. We could use your skills.” Shepard chuckled at the look that pinned itself across his face.

“I’m still attached to the Crucible. I’m needed there, but perhaps soon. It’s nearly finished.” the older turian breathed, glancing off to the commander’s left.

Crossing her arms, she glanced over her shoulder and barely spotted her bondmate peering through his scope on a high ledge near Armax's entrance. She looked back at Nihlus then, wondering if the dark plated turian had spotted him. His nose plates were twitching faintly. She knew that reaction, he was trying to catch a scent.

*

Nihlus tried to play innocent as he continued to visually track the commander’s mate. He tested the scent wafting off her once more before the realization struck him. He knew that scent and wondered if her mate knew precisely what it meant. _Spirits, it_ _ **can’t**_ _be his_. The very idea caused his breath to catch in shock. His gaze returned to the human and his one remaining brow-plate lowered in concentration.

“Alright, out with it, Nih. You’re glaring at me like you’re about to eat me.” Shepard grumbled at him.

“No, I… um. I’m attempting to make sense of something here.” Nihlus stammered. It was so unlike him to be at a loss for words. He knew there was no delicate way to ask the question that was burning through his skull. Nodding to himself, he simply blurted the question out. “Who is... the father?”

“ _Excuse me?_ ” Shepard growled, eyes narrowing dangerously at her friend.

“Scent doesn’t lie, Shepard. Clearly you’re pregnant. So… I’m curious. Who’s the father?” Nihlus elaborated, his brow-plate rising in genuine curiosity.

“You’re crazy. I’m _not_ pregnant.” she snapped, eyeing him as if he had turned green. “Garrus is the only partner I’ve had since Cerberus brought me back. No one else… so… it’s just not possible.”

Nihlus simply stared at her, mentally chewing on her statement. He tested that scent again, noting the differences between it and what he had encountered only a few hours ago from another pregnant human. Similar and yet so very different. He could smell her mate’s scent on her, but there was something more that he could not readily put his talon on. He did not believe what his senses were telling him either. It simply was not possible.

“Have your doctor look you over… and soon.” Nihlus suggested as a faint rumble passed through his sub-harmonics. Tapping his nose, he nodded to her. “I believe they will confirm what the nose knows.”

“Fine!” Shepard snapped and glared at him as if she wanted to burn a hole through his face. “I’m holding you _personally_ responsible if the doctor finds something wrong. It’s _your_ nose I’m going by.”

Nihlus held up his hands, shaking his head at that. “Oh… _no_. I had absolutely _nothing_ to do with… _that!_ It’s your _mate’s_ problem and I’ll _gladly_ head back to the Crucible in the face of that.”

“Chicken shit.” Shepard grumbled.

“I prefer to keep my head on my shoulders, thank you very much.” Nihlus rumbled a faint laugh and backed away from the ticket window. “I’ll be leaving now. Enjoy your… _whatever_ it is.”

*

Shepard glared after the departing turian as he made his way out a side door and disappeared into the crowd beyond. She thought about what he had said, not the data or the algorithm, but the part about her condition. There was no evidence to support his claim. _Mordin’s still at the apartment_ , a tiny voice in the back of her head whispered at that. It was a very sobering idea and it brought this whole war into sharper perspective. If it was true, she had so much more to fight… to _win_ for now than ever before.


	78. Scientific Request

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard realizes Mordin is the only one with enough knowledge of xenobiology to ask delicate questions of.

Garrus watched the red plated turian through his scope. The male did not seem threatening to his bondmate. In fact, she seemed to know him. Of course, he knew how that kind of scenario could go. The victim usually knew the attacker. Most often they felt comfortable enough around them to let their guard down. That was exactly what Shepard was doing now. That worried him. He had seen her initial shock at the discovery of his identity.

Taking a moment, he opened his omni-tool and pulled up some public security records from the SR-1. He needed to confirm his suspicion about that male. The turian nearly fit the description of the deceased Spectre who had been aboard the Normandy for a few weeks before the Eden Prime run.

Splitting his attention between the vids and his bondmate, he finally found the information he sought. The documents accompanying the vid seemed a little too cut and dried to him now. The Spectre’s apparent death, a little too clean. _Scrubbed, more likely_. The thought left him a little shaken.

Glancing back through his scope, he zoomed in and studied the male’s face for a moment. There was no doubt in his mind as he took note of the undamaged side of his face. That was Nihlus Kryik. It had to be. No one else fit his description. No one bore the damaged cranial plates the male might have had after Saren’s attack either. What did not make sense to him, however, was how this male could be alive. He had seen the damage as the male moved around. It should have been a fatal blow.

The moment Nihlus stepped out of the ticket booth and headed into the crowd, Garrus decided it was time to step down from his little sniper’s nest. He still did not trust the red plated turian, but he was willing to set that aside until he discovered exactly what was transferred to Shepard’s omni-tool. That would decide for him whether the male was truly a threat or not. The thought struck him as Shepard made her way up the stairs that he had become much more protective of her over the last week. He rumbled softly at the thought and filed it away for later examination.

“I need you and Tali to go over this data before we let it get anywhere near EDI.” Shepard said as she met him at the top of the stairs. A frown knit her brows together, deepening the crease between them. She did not look at him as she barely breathed. “And I need to see Mordin.”

“That was Kryik, wasn’t it?” Garrus asked simply, nodding in the direction the red plated turian had gone.

“Yeah… he’s supposed to be dead.” Shepard grumbled faintly and headed toward the apartment tower.

“Looks pretty good for a dead man.” Garrus murmured as he followed her to the elevator.

“Maybe a little too good.” Shepard nodded and remained silent as the elevator carried them up to the apartment. The moment it stopped, she opened her omni-tool and locked eyes with him. “I’m uploading the data stream to your omni-tool. Kryik says it’s an algorithm. Says it could save EDI from whatever the Crucible might do to AIs.”

“I’m on it, Shepard.” Garrus stated and looked the data over quickly as it streamed across his tool. He understood in a heartbeat why she had suggested he pull Tali in on the examination of the data. “I’ll see how Tali’s hangover is and we’ll get to this.”

*

Shepard watched her bondmate head off purposefully through the apartment the moment they stepped inside. She had absolute faith in his ability to sort that information out. The sigh of resignation she released had nothing to do with that.

_Mordin_ … the thought was followed by another huff of air. She knew if Nihlus was right, she might be forced to enlist the salarian’s continued presence on the Normandy. Hopefully his tasks associated with the Crucible were finished, or could at least be passed on to someone else. She had a feeling she was going to need his xenobiological expertise.

The salarian was in the kitchen sitting at the island with his head pressed against the cool surface of the counter. Vega was frying eggs and her stomach rolled at the thought. It was surprising to see Mordin hungover. Normally it was like trying to pull teeth to get him to drink.

Stopping beside him, she put a hand on his thin shoulder to draw his attention. He moaned softly, but did not lift his head. She kept her voice soft when she spoke. “Mordin… I need to speak to you about something… in private.”

“Ryncol… not a salarian drink. Knew the risks… Wrex quite persuasive…. Uuuugh…” Mordin moaned into the counter top.

“Come on. Grab an herbal tea and meet me in the office. This is important and… I… need your advice.” Shepard stated and hauled him to his feet.

“Leave me to die, Shepard. I’m old…” Mordin moaned, but did not resist her urgings.

“Let’s get that tea.” she murmured and supported him over to the sink.

“Hey, Lola, you want some eggs? Mordin? Eggs?” Vega asked cheerfully as he tossed them around the skillet.

“Uh… no… thanks, but no.” Shepard breathed as she rummaged around in the cabinets looking for tea. A moment later, she found the packets. “Ah-ha… tea.”

Once the tea was steeping in a cup, she pushed it into the salarian’s hands. He did not resist her encouragement to head for the office at the rear of the apartment. It was a secure area, small and out of the way. She knew the others would not come looking for her there any time soon.

“Need advice? Clearer now, more focused. Can offer more advice on interspecies intimacy.” Mordin perked up after a few sips of his tea.

“I need you to run some tests.” Shepard said slowly, wondering how best to phrase it. “And I need you to keep it quiet.”

“Test? What kind of test? On what?” Mordin blinked at her in obvious confusion.

“You’ll be running a few tests on me, Mordin.” she stated, locking eyes with the scientist.

“Dr. Chakwas better suited to run medical tests. Perhaps Miranda for cybernetic testing.” he suggested rapidly.

Shepard shook her head at the suggestions and gripped his forearm gently. “No.. I need you to run a pregnancy test.”

“Chakwas definitely better option to run tests.” Mordin frowned.

Shepard took a breath and frowned at him. Her mind was spinning in a thousand different directions, conjuring a thousand different possibilities. Finally, she managed to simply say it. “Garrus is the father.”

The tea cup shattered between the salarian’s robotic hands and he simply stared at her, unblinking for several heartbeats. She was fairly certain he had stopped breathing as well. _Shocked into silence, and it only took an interspecies pregnancy to do it, go figure_.

“Not possible. Genetic incompatibility, cellular redundancies, dextro/levo inconsistencies. Turian and human genomes unable to naturally mutate for conception….” Mordin threw out every bit of logic he could against the subject. His eyes widened, hairless brows rising in sudden understanding. “Exposure… genophage cure. _Both_ exposed to mutagen. Need to run tests immediately!”

Her grip on his arm tightened momentarily before he could dash off. “We need to keep this quiet. Garrus… doesn’t need to know, not yet anyway.”

“Understand. Too many variables. War, possible misscarriage. No need to add more stress to already stressful situation.” Mordin nodded. “Will need access to lab equipment. Need to monitor condition. Normandy medbay will... adequate, appropriate. Will… have to share with Chakwas. Doctor’s knowledge could be… problematic.”

“And you can keep this quiet?” Shepard asked, a pleading note entering her voice. She did not want Garrus finding out yet. Mordin was right, there were too many variables involved.

“Of course, Shepard. Scientist, not gossip.” Mordin grumbled faintly, but there was a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

  
  
  



	79. The Best

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard, Garrus and the rest of the crew wrap up shore leave.

Garrus was not really surprised that Shepard decided to hold Thane’s memorial service at the apartment. It seemed a fitting place, but maybe not the best timing. Granted, everyone was present, but most were still a little hungover. Even with that, they all stood in respect to the fallen. It was not dissimilar to a turian service. _Not unlike the service held for Shepard either_. The thought was pushed aside brutally. He did not want to think about how dark that day had been. Not now, not when he was considering exactly how best to honor the drell’s memory. He liked to think they had been friends, but that made the loss hit so much closer to home.

Closing his eyes briefly, he glanced down at his feet. He hated these things. Funeral services, he knew, were for the living. Even still, he found them lacking somehow. They rarely brought the closure they were meant to. He doubted this one would be any better once completed.

Listening to Shepard speak and then Tali, he realized he needed to say something. He had spent a good many hours with the drell. They had played poker in the port lounge many times, betting thermal clips and a few credits. Friendly body count challenges on the occasional mission together became a favorite pastime. Those challenges had often escalated into headshot counts given Thane’s skill with a sniper rifle. He was good, but the turian easily maintained his near-legendary galactic record.

It was with a heavy heart that he finally looked up toward Shepard. He noted Kolyat standing just off to her side staring at his father’s picture. That kind of loss, he knew the toll it could take. His mother’s death had done the same to him.

“The _last_ word I’d label Thane with is ‘assassin’. We fought together, drank together, even played together… We covered each other more than a few times in firefights. That made him a partner -- a brother-in-arms… and a _friend_.” Garrus shook his head and glanced down once more. “Guess my training manual never covered how to… mourn a friend.”

The rest of the service was virtually lost on him. Samara followed him, praising Thane for his sacrifice. She praised the drell for his reasons for leaving the Normandy. They all knew that was a double-edged sword. Even EDI had something to say about the drell, which surprised him. Joker, ever the one to crack a good joke, did not disappoint even in this. The man seemed to think Thane could have killed them all with a ballpoint pen. He was probably right.

Kolyat was the last to speak of his father. Garrus was glad to hear that the two had reconciled their differences during Thane’s final days. He wondered if he and his own father might ever do the same. Closing his eyes for a moment, he considered the possibilities. He hoped they had more time than Kolyat and Thane managed to capture.

The memorial service ended with the drell’s son standing near the piano, beside Shepard. She put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it before turning toward the others. Garrus heard her tell the young man he was welcome to remain in the apartment as long as he needed to. He was fairly certain she had even given him the security code.

Waiting until the others had filed out, Garrus stepped in behind his mate and rested a hand on her shoulder. He knew Thane’s death had hit her hard, but he was only just beginning to understand how hard. They had all come through a suicide mission together. He suspected they had all thought themselves invincible after something like that. Now they knew better, but the price of that knowledge was too high.

*

Shepard stopped just outside the elevator and watched the doors close on the rest of her crew. Her bondmate’s hand felt heavy on her shoulders as the ache in her chest threatened to cave it in. She had thought she was past this. Tears had been shed in private for the loss of one of their own the very evening of his death. Thane had been an asset to her crew, but more than that. He had been a friend. Her bondmate’s earlier words came back to her then. Garrus had said his training manual did not cover mourning a friend and she realized he was right. They told a soldier how to carry a weapon, how to clear it, even how to dress and fight, but they did not teach them how to mourn the losses.

Glancing over her shoulder at Garrus, she nodded and closed her eyes briefly. A single tear rolling down her face when she opened them again. He stepped around in front of her and folded her into his arms just as the sob broke from her throat. She was glad he had stripped the armor off for the service because she needed him close. The armor would have prevented her from pressing her face into him as he held her.

Garrus held her through the storm she had not expected to hit. It did not last long, but it took a heavy toll, leaving her red-faced and sniffling when the elevator reached their level again. She stood there staring at the cabin as the doors opened and wondered if she was really ready to throw herself back into the grind. There really was no choice and so, she stepped inside.

All that remained of her breakdown when they reached the Silversun Strip were red-rimmed eyes. She took a breath and let it out before stepping into the corridor that led out to the strip itself. Covering the few feet to the rapid transit console, she managed to get a better grip on her emotions.

“Duty calls, huh? Even with a hangover?” Joker said as he came limping up to them from the direction of Armax Arena.

“Hey, there’s still a war on.” Shepard sighed as she turned to the Normandy’s pilot.

“Unless the Reapers are on shore leave too,” he said hopefully, shifting from one foot to the other.

“Yeah…” she huffed a half-laugh. “It would be nice. Round everyone up and report back to the Normandy. We’ve got a war to win.”

“You got it.” Joker nodded and limped off toward Armax.

After watching him disappear into the shooting range, she climbed into the waiting car. Garrus circled around to the other side and pulled the driver controls up the second he had settled in. She rarely drove the skycars on the Citadel. That she left to Garrus. He had a tendency to actually obey the many rules and regs imposed across the whole of the Citadel.

The ride back to the docking ring was subdued. Neither spoke and she simply stared out the window. The second he parked the car, she climbed out and headed for the railing overlooking the exterior of the dock. She could see the Normandy waiting in her berth as traffic flowed back and forth beyond.

Leaning on the railing, she glanced at her bondmate as he took a position at her side. He rested his elbows on the railing and looked to her with concern shining in his eyes. His hands were clasped together loosely, one thumb lazily stroking the largest knuckle of the other hand.

“So… I guess it’s back to the fight?” he said quietly as some of the others began to take positions around them from the second car that landed.

“At least we threw one hell of a party.” Shepard nodded and looked off toward the distance. She let out a slow breath with her next statement. “Probably the last one.”

Garrus raised up and brought a hand up to her chin, encouraging her to look at him as he caressed her face. “That doesn’t sound like my girl. You’ll find a way to win…. And when this is over… I’ll be waiting for you.”

The turian’s words brought a smile to her face despite the slump she was sinking into. She watched him as he dropped his hand back to the railing. He turned his face back toward the Normandy, eyes roving over its form. The turian took in a deep breath and tilted his head slightly, the look in his eyes almost dreamy. “Best times of my life were spent on that ship. Been a damn good ride.”

“The best.” Shepard nodded even as the turian pushed himself off the railing and stepped around her.


	80. Evolutionary Curve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard tries to cope with the confirmation of her pregnancy.

The moment they were all back aboard the Normandy, Shepard headed to the QEC. Speaking to Hackett was her first priority. Once that was done, she meant to catch up to Mordin in the medbay. The sooner he started those tests, the better she would feel about this whole thing.

Hackett’s holographic image swirled into being the second he stepped onto the QEC platform on his end. He stood there a moment, hands clasped behind his back in a parade rest stance before nodding to her. He looked confident and calm, but she suspected his nerves were jangling just as badly as her own were.

“Shepard.” he acknowledged her a moment later. “The intel you sent looks good. The fleets are ready to go…”

“But…” she prompted and the man’s eyes narrowed on her, attention sharply focused.

“Once we’re committed against Cerberus, it won’t be long before the Reapers take notice.” he shook his head. The tone of his voice caused the commander to narrow her eyes just a little further.

Shepard maintained eye contact as she stepped a little closer to the railing before his image. She ducked her head ever so slight and asked, “And the crucible?”

“Ready.” Hackett said, glancing off at something to his right. His voice was quiet and almost strained when he turned his gaze back on her. “Except for the Catalyst, but there’s no way to hide the ships we’ll be sending at Cerberus. Once we attack, the Crucible won’t stay safe for long.”

Shepard realized she did not like his tone. It seemed almost as if he were hiding something. Something critical to the over mission, maybe. She eyed him suspiciously as he continued.

“For all intents and purposes, an assault on Cerberus will be the first stage of our attack on Earth.” Hackett nodded as he finished what he had to say.

“And if we don’t find the Catalyst? What happens if Cerberus prevents us from getting the intel?” The question had been burning through her mind since Kai Leng had taken the Prothean AI from Thessia.

“Then we lead the fleet to Earth,” Hackett nodded and glanced down briefly before returning his hawk-like gaze to hers. “And we take out chances.”

Shepard narrowed her eyes and nodded as she rested her hands on the railing. Her voice was a growl of determination when she glared at him from under her brows. “The Reapers and Cerberus started this. Now we’re gonna end it.”

“I’ll get the fleets mobilized.” Hackett nodded before turning and stepping out of range of the QEC.

Standing there staring at the space the admiral had vacated, she began to wonder exactly what he was playing at. As a general rule of thumb, Alliance officers always saluted their subordinates before dismissing them. It was regulation. Hackett had not done that the last several times she had spoken to him. It was starting to rub her the wrong way. The first couple of times could easily have been a stress related oversight, but not this persistent disregard for regulations.

After a moment, she let out a tired sigh and turned away from the comm. They were roughly 18 hours away from the MIa system. That was at least two relay hops and a few hours travel through the horsehead nebula. She had time to grab a meal and lay out a plan of attack. With a little luck, she might even get a shower tossed in with a little downtime.

Shepard turned on her heel and headed out of the comm room. Food was what she needed. _Better check in with Mordin first, see if he’s ready to run those tests_. She reminded herself of that task with a groan. A small part of her hoped Nihlus was wrong. She did not even want to consider what might happen during the coming battles if he was right.

Another thought struck her as she entered the lift and she stopped dead in her tracks. There was no way she could tell Garrus until they put an end to the Reaper threat. She knew him too well. He would try to prevent her from taking this fight to the Reapers in person. The turian certainly would not allow her to put herself in any kind of danger once he knew. She could not bring a child into existence with the threat of annihilation hanging over its head either. If her bondmate found out before the war was over, she hoped he could understand why she had to keep pushing.

The mess hall was bustling with activity as she rounded the bend toward the medbay. She looked her crew over for a moment before passing through the door. Colleges, friends… family, that was what they were to her. Species meant nothing in the face of the connections they had all made. She loved every last one of them in one way or another.

Dragging her eyes off them, she turned toward the med-bay and entered. Chakwas swung her chair just enough to get a look at the door. Once satisfied with who had entered, she turned back to her terminal, humming softly to herself. 

Mordin, however, took three long strides toward her. The salarian had a determined look on his face. Under different circumstances, she might have been concerned, but she had asked for this. There was no backing out now.

“Ready for testing?” the salarian asked cheerfully.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Shepard said quietly and noticed Chakwas had turned back toward them, taking an interest in what was being said now.

“Good. Condition best determined through blood test. Sit there.” Mordin rambled on and pointed toward the closest exam bed.

“Wait, Mordin. If you need a blood sample from the commander, you’ll need me to draw it. There are so many cybernetics interlaced throughout her body, you’re more likely to hit a cervo than a vein.” Chakwas stated the second the salarian headed for the cabinets across the room.

“Acceptable. Know Shepard’s medical history better. Can easily maintain doctor/patient confidentiality with test results.” Mordin nodded and handed the doctor the kit the moment she stepped over to him.

“And what exactly are we testing for? Cerberus boosted her immune system to an astronomical level when they brought her back.” Chakwas stated as she walked over to Shepard.

“Pregnancy.” Mordin blurted simply.

“Excuse me?” Chakwas said, turning to stare at the salarian from her squatted position beside the commander. The look on her face said it all. She thought he had gone completely mad. “You realize she is married to a turian.”

“Yes. Testing imperative under current circumstances.” Mordin nodded.

“And what circumstances could possibly warrant a pregnancy test? As ship’s doctor, I know for a fact she hasn’t had relations with anyone but her bondmate.” Chakwas glanced up at her then. “Have you?”

There were several ways she could have answered that, including indignantly. She chose the calm route. The doctor was simply asking an honest question. “No.”

“Then this test is unnecessary.” Chakwas stated as she started to put the kit back together.

Shepard put a hand on the woman’s shoulder and shook her head before glancing up at the salarian.. “This needs to be done…. Mordin, you wanna explain it to her?”

“Exposure to genophage cure. Cybernetics -- an unknown. Untried factor in equation. _Too_ many variables.” Mordin paused for a moment, glancing at Shepard before he continued. “Garrus Vakarian exposed as well. Less likely to cause disturbances in hormone balance… but still, some cybernetics in equation. Unknown affect.”

“Are you saying their cybernetics and exposure to the genophage cure could have altered them in some way?” Chakwas seemed to be catching on to his train of thought.

“Yes. Possible mutation.” Mordin confirmed.

“Well…” Chakwas breathed as she locked eyes with Shepard once more. “I think we have to do this test.”

Shepard nodded and sat through the blood draw as well as Mordin’s mumblings as he tested the sample against a wide array of chemicals. She really was not sure exactly what she expected the answer to be. Part of her kept saying there was no way in hell she was carrying a turian/human hybrid. They just were not genetically compatible. Another part, however, swore it was entirely possible based on the variables Mordin had mentioned. Instead of racing into a panic, she simply sat there… waiting.

All told, Mordin’s tests ran no less than an hour. Chakwas ran tests of her own and conferred with the salarian at regular intervals. They murmured in low voices and nodded several times. All the while, the commander’s stress level continued to climb.

Finally, she could take it no longer. She stood up and glared at the pair before heading for the door. “Let me know when you have the results.”

“Have results now. Considering how best to inform you.” Mordin said cheerfully.

“There’s no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ way to say it, Mordin. So… just say it.” Shepard grumbled at him.

“Tests results….” Mordin began and glanced at his omni-tool once before smiling at her. “Positive.”

Shepard’s blood froze in her veins. She vaguely remembered Chakwas guiding her back into a seated position. The doctor was smiling like a lunatic and babbling even worse. The salarian confirmed his ramblings with some images brought up on the diagnostic bed. It all left her reeling.

“You’re pregnant, Commander. According to hormone levels and imagining, you are – just a few weeks along.” Chakwas stated with a smile. Her next question was delicately put, but the look on her face said it all. “You’re sure your bondmate is the father?”

Shepard glared at the doctor, crossing her arms. A moment later, she simply snapped at the woman. “You know I haven’t slept with anyone else since Cerberus put me back together.”

“We have to be certain, Commander. The implications are…. Staggering.” Chakwas breathed.

“Genetic markers, hormone levels coupled with combined dextro/levo amino tolerances point to turian/human hybrid.” Mordin said thoughtfully. “Need to monitor fetal development closely. New sub-species. Evolutionary curve… unclear. Fascinating.”


	81. Foreshadowing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Intimacy and nightmares seem to go hand-in-hand for Shepard. The night before the final push is no different.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reader discretion is advised. We don't fade to black here when Garrus kisses Shepard during the ME3 final romance scene. If you're not comfortable reading smut, feel free to skip that section. The final dream sequence follows with 'The ashen forest' line. You are safe to pick up there and continue.

Shepard left the med-bay in a daze. She vaguely remembered eating something and then heading back up to the captain's cab. The last several hours felt so unreal that she literally pushed them to the side, convincing herself that it was just a dream. Somewhere along the way she had showered and made her way to the bed. That was where she sat, staring unseeingly at a the data pad in her hands when the door whooshed open.

“Shepard… I thought you might be up here.” Garrus said as he made his way down the stairs. He still wore the civvies he had been wearing for the memorial service. “You alright?”

“As well as can be expected.” she breathed, her brows raising at the concern etched into his face as he crossed the room.

“You know what the best part is about a battle that decides the fate of a whole galaxy?” he asked before taking a seat next to her on the foot of the bed.

“Winning it?” she asked softly with a faint smile.

“I was thinking it’s a good excuse to the remind the ones you care about… well, that you care about them. Want some company?” His much larger hand closed around hers resting on her knee.

“You read my mind.” smiling, she shifted and set the data pad down on the bed behind her.

“Hmm.. guess I’m getting pretty good at this. But some more practice wouldn’t hurt…” he murmured, pressing his plated brow against her forehead before tipping his head and capturing her lips in his approximation of a kiss.

Shepard ran a hand up over the left side of his cowl, gripping his solid form through the fabric or his tunic. She thought, for a moment, about telling him. The pregnancy was important, but she could not bring the words to her lips. The coming battle was too important. They needed to be the well oiled machine they always had been. She could not afford this knowledge to cripple that ability. They needed to win this thing… for _all_ the unborn children of the galaxy. She needed his head in the fight, when the time came. If he was trying too depserately to protect her, for any reason, they might both end up dead.... And the galaxy with them.

Clinging to Garrus, she allowed him to virtually cradle her in his arms. He barely exerted that superior strength of his to haul them closer to the center of the bed when he dug his foot into the mattress. Her body conformed to all his angles and edges perfectly as they pressed against each other.

Shepard felt the front of his leggings grow damp against her as his plates began parting. She smiled at him through a kiss and entwined her fingers with his. He had thrown out the idea of waiting for hours to coax his plates open with her. It seemed to just come naturally during intimate moments. She thought it had more to do with what they felt for each other than any physical adjustments.

Running a hand down his side, she let out a contented sigh at the rumble of lust that vibrated through his chest plates. His tunic was off in minutes as she ran a hand down over his groin and those parting plates. He growled and nuzzled into the side of her neck. Her body responded to him in kind. A flash of heat washed over her and pooled between her thighs as one of his three fingered hands ran up her leg to gently grip her ass.

Shepard let out a growl of her own and pushed him over onto his back, careful that his fringe did not catch on the mattress. She stood briefly and pulled her clothes off, tossing them haphazardly to the floor. Her hands fanned out across the bulge of his opening plates a moment later as she crawled back up beside him. He leaned back on a pile of pillows, mandibles flaring in an amost smug smile as she opened the hidden seals of his pants.

Garrus scooted around a little, shifting this way and that, helping her drag his pants from his body before reaching for her. She dropped them to his knees, no longer interested in trying to strip him completely naked. Instead, she threw a leg over him and gently squeezed his waist between her knees. He moaned softly and his plates released his erection. She barely gave him a second to catch his breath before she had guided him into her.

A sigh of fulfillment escaped her the second he was seated within her. He growled deep in his chest, gripping her hips as she started rolling against him. Her hands ran over the plates of his abdomen and he inhaled sharply. A heartbeat later, he reached up and removed his visor. He carefully dropped it on the floor beside the bed, never taking those icy blue eyes off her. Her movement were frantic as she chased release.

*

Garrus allowed her a few moments of control before he bucked up and flipped her onto the mattress. This position did not work so well for him. Not enough leverage, but he was determined. Instead of continuing with her flat on the bed beneath him, he dragged her to the edge. That seemed to work a little better for her, he realized as she cried out his name. It still was not working so much for him and he withdrew from her. She gasped, giving him the look of death as she raised up. He tilted his head, mandibles flaring as he rested on his knees before her.

Offering her his hands, he nodded toward the edge of the bed. She got the idea quickly enough and gave him a wicked smile as she took them. He pulled her off the bed, guiding her to lean her upper body on it. A rumble of appreciation purred through his sub-harmonics as he ran his hands over the cheeks of her ass. His hands slid over her hips and gently gripped them as he pushed himself into her.

Breath catching at the sensation, he rolled his head against the back rim of his carapace with a gasp. He rolled his hips against her then, making sure the bottom of his seam and groin cup rubbed her just right. She let out a hissing breath and he picked up the pace. He maintained his rhythm for several long moments before she forced him back onto his heels.

*

Shepard pushed him back, positioning herself in his lap as he rested on his heels. She gripped the edge of the bed and used it as leverage to grind into his lap. His arms wrapped around her then. One hand cupping a breast while the other found the bundle of nerves that was begging for attention.

The second the pad of his index finger swiped across it, she threw her head against his cowl in a ragged gasp of pleasure. He kept the pace hard and fast, his finger never completely breaking contact with her. She reached back and gripped his hip crests, pressing her back against his chest. His heart was pounding hard enough that she could feel it through his pectoral plates.

One last hard thrust and he growled out his passion for her. His arms tightened around her and his fingers continued to dance across her bundle of nerves until she reached her breaking point. When it finally tore through her, she all but sobbed his name, wrapping her arms around his. She allowed herself to fall apart and sag in his arms.

*

When he was finally able to move again, Garrus shifted, getting one foot under them and levering himself up to his feet. He maintained a gentle, but firm hold on her as he lifted her with him. Still connected, he had yet to recede behind his plates as he carefully sat on the bed and shifted them to their sides. Scooting upward with a grunt, he settled them in the middle of the bed and released a contented sigh.

Sleep was what they both needed. Now that he had worn them both out, he expected they would both sleep soundly. At least he hoped they would. Tomorrow was bound to be hell on Earth, literally. He had a feeling he was going to come to understand that term a little too well.

*

The ashen forest surrounded her before she was even aware she had drifted off. The sounds of Reaper weapons blaring in the distance filled her senses for a moment. She let out a sigh of frustration, keeping her eyes locked to her feet as she sat there and refusing to interact with the dreamworld.

The flash of white-gold light drew her eyes up sharply against her better judgment. She saw the boy racing off into the distance. Part of her wanted to follow him, stop him, lock her in her arms and demand that he stay there. She had seen that boy die and could not understand why he insisted on haunting her.

 _~You aren’t fast enough.~_ Ashley’s voice said from a cluster of shadows.

 _~You aren’t good enough.~_ Kaidan’s voice came from another.

 _~You will fail.~_ Ashley whispered.

 _~The world will burn.~_ Kaidan taunted.

 _~You can’t win this war.~_ Ash growled close to her ear.

 _~The half-breed monster you carry_ _ **will die**_ _.~_ Kaidan growled near her other ear.

 _~You will die….~_ Ash hissed so close to her ear she swore she felt the other woman’s breath.

“ _Enough!_ ” Shepard barked, her head snapped up at that, but there was no one near her. 

The forest was empty of all but the boy in the distance… and the shadows. The shadows… She narrowed her eyes on them. Shades of the dead, she knew that was what they were now. This place was a kind of crossroads and she began to wonder… _Why do I keep coming back here? What is it about this place that draws me in? Is this where I was after Alchera?_ She did not have those answers and was not sure she really wanted them.

The flash of white-gold caught the corner of her eye and she glanced to her left. The boy ran toward a figure that stepped out of a cluster of shadows. Human and female by her shape, but still cast in darkness.

Shepard stood and jogged after the boy. She knew, by this point, that there was no ending these dreams without following them through. There were others that had been far worse than this one was so far. Dreams of Garrus dying in her arms, dreams of him dissolving in a Reaper beam and so many more.

As she ran, she heard Legions disembodied voice call out to her. Ash whispered, but not in the cruel tone of her previous words. Kaidan blamed her, as he always had. She missed a step when she heard Thane’s voice offer up a prayer for forgiveness. The rest she ignored as she chased after the boy.

The woman ahead of the boy sank to her knees and wrapped an arm around him as he ran to her. She held a swaddled bundle in her other arm as she looked up and smiled. Flames caught around their feet, spreading up their clothes and still they smiled at her. Her own face smiled at her as if being on fire was perfectly normal. The kneeling Shepard glanced down at the baby in her arms, but the commander could not see its face. The flames blotted it out in a white glow of heat.


	82. Savoring the Last Shot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard wakes from a nightmare and drags her bondmate to the shower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reader Discretion is advised. If you're not comfortable reading interspecies sex or sex in general, feel free to skip the chapter. If you've played the games, you won't miss much here.

Garrus reclined in the chair facing the model case with his feet propped up on the coffee table. He glanced back toward Shepard the second he heard her gasp. He sat up, dropped his feet to the floor and put the data pad down. Getting to his feet, he made his way over to her, mandibles pinning to his face at the near terrified look on her face.

“Bad dream?” he asked as he stepped toward her side of the bed.

Shepard scooted into a seated position, resting her elbows on her knees. “You ever get them?” She glanced up at him with a sigh. “Since we bonded?”

“Mmm… I tend to expect the worst, anyway. So dreaming about it is just a waste of good sleep.” he murmured as he took a seat beside her.

“What about now?” Shepard breathed.

“I’m… expecting a tough fight.” he said of the battle to come. When she glanced down at her hands, wringing them, his frown deepened. “What’s bothering you?”

“It’s nothing... “ she sighed and sat up. “Just pre-fight jitters.”

“Shepard… talk to me. Don’t bottle it up.” Garrus said softly, taking her hands in his.

“Have we done enough?” she whispered, locking eyes with him then. “Can we ever be ready for a battle like this?.... Everything we’ve ever know… it’s all hanging by a thread, Garrus.”

“Yeah… but the truth is, when hasn’t it?” he took a breath and forced his mandibles to loosen about his face. “Every fight we’ve ever seen could have been the last. Every bullet we’ve ever dodged could have been _the one_.”

Shepard huffed a faint laugh at that. Her smile was weak, but it was there. “There have been a lot of bullets.”

“And this time around, they’re just a _little_ bigger.” he purred, hoping her mood would lighten at least a fraction.

A half laugh, half sigh escaped her then as she glanced down at their joined hands. Looking back up at him, she caressed his cheekbone and mandible tenderly. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Garrus pressed her hand to his face briefly. This moment felt thunderous to him. He knew he had heard her make similar statements in the past, but this one meant something more. Time seemed to stand still in those brief seconds before she got to her feet. He could barely bring himself to release her hand as she stepped away, heading toward the bathroom.

Getting to his feet with a grunt, he followed her a few seconds later. _A shower is starting to sound incredibly good right about now. Don’t think I can let her out of my sight just yet. Something’s off… different... Can’t put my talon on…_ His head was practically swimming in speculation as he entered the bathroom behind her. She was standing before the mirror, leaning on the sink. A sad smile spread across her face as he entered.

Closing the distance between them, he wrapped his arms around her from behind. His mandible pressed against the side of her face as he made eye contact with their mirror images. Closing his eyes for a moment, he squeezed her gently when she put a hand on the forearm draped across her shoulders.

“We’re _going_ to win this thing.” Garrus said firmly, his voice quiet enough that his sub-harmonics were nearly on the same level. “We have the whole damn galaxy at our backs… about to step into this battle with us. The Reapers.... don’t stand a chance.”

“I hope you’re right… but… if they beat us… I…” Shepard began and locked eyes with his reflection. Her brows pinched together, eyes widening a fraction as she bit down on her lower lip. 

Garrus thought she looked terrified in those few seconds before her expression shifted. She turned in his arms and looked up at him, draping her arms over his shoulders. He rested his plated brow against her smooth forehead then, his voice barely above a whisper. “What is it?”

“You mean… _everything_ to me.” she finally said and nuzzled into his plates before pressing her lips to his mouth. “I couldn’t do this without you.”

“Sure you could… just not as stylishly.” he snarked. It was a comment he knew he had made at least once before, but it fit this instance. It seemed to break the building tension as she let out a faint snicker.

“C’mere…” Shepard breathed as she pulled him a little closer and kissed him passionately.

Garrus hummed against her mouth as his tongue slipped out to meet hers. _Round two… I can do that… Might be... the last chance we get to do this…_ He wanted to push that last thought far, far away, but he could not force it out of his mind. Instead, he buried it as deep as he could even as he sank his hands into her hair.

Shepard pushed him toward the shower and fumbled for the knobs. She squealed a moment later as the cold water hit them both. He grunted at the chill, still despising how it sent knives racing beneath his plates. It was all he could do to maintain his focus on her. One slip of intent and his plates would seal before they finished parting. That would be the end of round two far too quickly for his taste.

The water was barely coming up to a comfortable level when she ran her hands over him, opening buckles and seals on his clothing. He knew he should not have bothered getting dressed again so soon. Somehow, he had not thought she would be so eager for another round after her nap.

When she threw a leg up over his hip crest, he took the cue and hoisted her up. She nipped her way along his neck muscles from his jaw to the rim of his cowl and back again. When she ran her tongue over the underside of his jaw, he released a lusty growl and his groin plates spread wide.

It was not often that Shepard seized control of their activities. If he was being honest with himself, it was not often that she chased a second round. He was not complaining by any means. After all, this was two nights in a row that they had indulged so much. He was eager to carry her over the edge with him one more time before they were forced to face the coming fight. If they were lucky, they would lose themselves in each other for just a little while longer.

Breathing was a thing he needed to do and water running over his head was detrimental to that. So he pressed her against the wall to the side of the shower-head as he turned. Her hands traced the edges of the plates running down the back of his neck and he let out a loud rumbling purr. It increased in volume when she wiggled the fingers of one hand beneath the long spines of his fringe. He practically melted into a puddle of turian lust at the sensations shivering through the thinnest section of his first skull plate.

*

Shepard locked her ankles around him the second he pressed into her. Her head banged into the wall behind her, but she barely felt it. Hips snapping back and forth fast, Garrus pumped into her for all he was worth. One of his hands was pressed into the wall above her, the other arm was wrapped around her. He kept her pinned between the wall and himself as much for leverage as balance, she realized. His knees were already shaking faintly, tremors racing up and down the length of his legs.

Squeezing her legs around his waist caused him to growl and roll his hips harder against her. Already she could feel the burning pleasure singing through her nerves as he rubbed against all the right spots. His mandibles flexed rhythmically with his breath as he pressed his plated brow against her forehead. His eyes were locked to her, half-lidded and slightly glazed. She knew he was lost in pleasure and she was rapidly catching up.

It rushed up on her faster than she had thought and she cried out at her release. He continued pumping into her even as her muscles constricted and pulsed around him. The snarling grunt and shudder of his release came after a half a dozen more strokes. They clung to each other as the wave washed over them both and left them both drunk in the afterglow.

Shepard was the first to find her voice as he allowed her to slip down the wall to her feet. “We should shower and… get a little sleep.”

“Hmm… good plan.” he murmured with a nod.

  
  
  



	83. Cronos Station

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Next stop; Cronos Station. Shepard and her team hope to retrieve the Prothean VI and with it, the Catalyst data.

“The strike team is in. We’ve got a foothold… Fifth Fleet, all forward! I don’t want a single Cerberus ship in my sky when we’re through.” Hackett barked the orders across the airwaves.

Shepard crossed her arms, staring at the holo-display in the war room. She tried to think positively about the coming battle, but every nerve was screaming this could go sideways so horribly fast. Taking this war to the Illusive Man’s front door brought them one step closer to taking on the Reapers. They needed the intel TIM had stolen on Thessia.

“Shepard,” EDI said from the top of the stairs leading toward the CIC. “I should accompany you on this mission.”

Shepard looked up at the synthetic woman and watched her come down the stairs with a slight frown. “Why?”

“This is the central point of operations for Cerberus. They will have enhanced security measures.” EDI was staring at the holo-display as she made her way down the stairs. “With my knowledge of Cerberus algorithms and this body’s updated protocols, I offer the best chance to help you succeed.”

Shepard glanced between EDI and the display, a slow smile spreading across her face as she realized the synthetic woman was correct. Between Garrus and Tali, they had gone over the algorithm Nihlus had transmitted to her omni-tool. It was sound, or so every scan they had run on it had shown. They had given the AI a choice regarding that algorithm and she had opted to install it.

“Grab your gear,” Shepard said finally as she turned to head up the stairs leading toward the CIC.

EDI nodded and followed her out of the room. The moment they reached the CIC, EDI split off toward the elevator. The synthetic woman would be heading down to the shuttle bay and her weapon’s locker. She would follow orders to the letter.

Shepard continued on around the galaxy map and through the CIC toward the cockpit. She needed to know how far from Cronos Station they really were now. Glancing up at the flickering, buzzing sun that virtually filled the entire front viewports, she stopped behind the pilot’s chair.

“Joker, what’s our status?” she asked brusquely.

“We’ve got a foothold, but it’s not much, Commander. Lot of fighters guardin’ the launch bays.” Joker squirmed in his seat and tapped his hands across the controls.

“Can you get us in?” she asked, resting a hand on the back of his chair.

“Hey.” he leaned forward and glanced back at her around the headrest. “I got us to Ilos. I can do this. Might be a bumpy ride though.”

“Do what you can.” Shepard nodded as the man faced his console again.

“Shepard, I am ready,” EDI said a few moments later, coming into the cockpit.

“Wait, _what?_ _Are you crazy?_ You _can’t_ go to Cerberus headquarters! They could have a virus, or a kill-switch, or…” Joker’s voice was bordering on panic as he turned back to glare at them, his eyes wide in concern.

“I will be fine, Jeff,” EDI stated. It sounded mechanical, but it was clearly meant to be soothing.

“Head to the shuttle, EDI,” Shepard said softly.

EDI nodded and headed back through the CIC with a parting glance at Joker. The man looked lost as the AI disappeared through the door behind them. A faint beeping in front of him drew his attention back to the console reluctantly.

“Fifth Fleet’s cut through their line. They’re regrouping. Now’s as good a time as any.” Joker grumbled, leaning back in his chair to glare out the forward viewport.

Shepard was torn. She understood Joker’s concerns. The things he had voiced were concerns of her own. She needed her pilot focused. They needed to be sure they had a way out if this thing went sideways.

“I need the best pilot in the galaxy focused, Joker. Think you can do that if I take care of your girlfriend?” Shepard asked quietly as she crossed her arms and watched the battle outside for a moment.

“Well, that wasn’t ominous, thanks,” Joker grumbled.

“I know this sucks not being able to go with her… but, just… try and get us in there safely.” Shepard breathed as she watched him lean forward.

“Sometimes… damn it.” Joker groaned. “Shepard… tell EDI to kick some ass.”

“Count on it,” Shepard said before stepping out of the cockpit. As she rounded the galaxy map again, she tapped the comm link near her ear. “Garrus, you ready for this?”

“Waiting for you in the shuttle bay,” came his smooth dual-toned voice.

“Good. Let’s get this show on the road,” Shepard grumbled and stepped into the elevator.

The others were already on the shuttle when the elevator door opened. She wasted no time in gearing up and heading inside. EDI was sitting on the rear bench. Garrus was staring thoughtfully at the small viewscreen attached to the bulkhead near the hatch.

Shepard gripped his arm on her way past. She stepped into the cockpit and took up the co-pilot’s seat with a nod to Cortez. The man nodded back, clearly noting that it would take the skills of two pilots to make it past the armada between them and the station.

It was a short flight to the launch bay the Fifth Fleet had cleared. They took a couple of knocks, but nothing serious. The hardest knock came when they all but crashed the shuttle through the station’s kinetic barrier and the soldiers resisting their entrance. It was not a soft landing by any stretch of the word. They plowed through several storage crates and came to rest a few feet inside the barrier.

“Keep the engine hot, Cortez!” Shepard barked as she climbed out of her seat and jogged for the hatch.

“I’ve got repairs to make here. Give Cerberus hell, Commander.” Cortez patched through the comm the second she and her team filed out of the shuttle.

Shepard pressed herself against the port engine bracket as she squatted out of range of the troopers who were already firing on her team. She nodded at Garrus as he ran past her and tossed himself behind one of the crates they had scattered across the bay.

“Get on it! Keep me informed!” Shepard barked and raised up just enough to toss a singularity at a small cluster of those soldiers.

“One confirmed hostile team. We’ve got them locked in hangar 16.” she heard the team leader call into his comm.

There was a lot more frantic chatter as she fired on the scattering team. EDI popped that holographic decoy of hers and crept forward, taking out guys along the way. The sound of shattering glass drew her attention to another guy a few yards away dropping with a smoking hole in his helmet’s lens.

“Scoped and dropped!” Garrus yelled from his place of cover, popping the heat sync in his rifle.

“Vent the damn hanger!” came the shout of what was clearly the troop leader.

“Heads up, Shepard!” Garrus shouted a moment later. He had changed positions quickly. “They’re bringin’ in mechs!”

“Nothing’s ever easy…” Shepard grumbled as she ran for his previous position and ducked down.

Dodging from one crate to the next, she brought herself up level with the mech’s line of sight. Swapping out her pistol for the sniper rifle slung across her back, she rested the barrel on the top of the create. Taking a quick breath, she lined up the shot.

“Cerberus is getting sloppy!” Garrus laughed as the mech’s canopy exploded at the impact of her bullet.

A moment later a shot rang out from her right and the mech’s pilot slumped over the controls. The turian hooted and she smiled to herself. There really was no one else she would rather have at her six than him.

The second the last of the resistance went down, an AI droned on over the station’s comm. “Security breach in hangar 16. Initiating Achilles Protocol.”

“That… _can’t_ be good,” Garrus grumbled as he came to her side.

“Shepard. Cerberus intends to vent the hangar bay!” EDI barked, looking around them for something. “I need an active console to access the override!”

“Has to be one up there somewhere. This one isn’t active.” Garrus said from just behind her near the console on the right-hand side of the bay.

“Right! Up the ladder!” Shepard barked and took her own orders, making short work of the ladder leading to the upper level.

“Hangar 16 secured. Engaging Achilles Protocol” came the station AI’s voice again.

“Not a lot of time…” Garrus grumbled as he followed them.

Shepard ran to the console at the top and tapped a couple of keys. It proved to be active and her eyes locked on the synthetic woman. “EDI, I’ve got an active console. Go!”

EDI was on it the second the commander moved away. Her fingers were lightning fast as she accessed protocols, commands, and controls. “Hangar bay procedure… disabled.”

Shepard breathed a faint sigh of relief and locked eyes on the AI with a nod. “Can you open the hangar? We need a way out.”

“No, however…” EDI confirmed her fear firmly even as she continued tapping keys. “I can access their fighter launch controls.”

“And… how… exactly… does that help us?” Garrus asked, his attention snapping to the sound of an access hatch opening on the level below.

Shepard frowned at the small fighter rising up out of the floor as she followed his line of sight. The brackets holding the fighter pivoted, swinging it around to face the rear wall of the bay.

“EDI… you’re a jewel.” Shepard breathed the second she realized the AI meant to blow out the back wall. There was no other way they were gaining access to the rest of the station.

“We must activate emergency launch protocols at _that_ console,” EDI stated, pointing at the console Garrus had already mentioned was inactive. “Cerberus is sending in reinforcements to prevent our escape.”

“Wonderful....” Shepard growled.

The words were barely passed her lips when gunfire whizzed by her head. Taking cover behind the bulkhead supporting the doorframe, she peeked around and fired off a couple of rounds. Her wild shots took out a couple of troopers with screams.

“Guess they figured out what we’re doing,” Garrus growled even as he charged past her and took cover behind a storage crate.

“They’re _not_ stopping us now!” Shepard snapped hotly.

Shepard slung a shockwave out and knocked the troopers into either wall. She tossed out biotic skills right and left in a fit of hormonal rage. Her blood was practically boiling and she knew there was more than one reason for that. She pushed the cause to the back of her mind. _No time to consider that now. We’ve got a Prothean VI to secure_. _Later, when this is all over… then I’ll face the reason for the mood swings…. Not now_.

When the last of the troopers dropped, EDI ran on ahead toward the opposite side of the hanger. Shepard watched the AI drop the ten feet to the floor below and step over to the launch console.

“Launching fighter,” EDI stated as they joined her and she tapped out the commanders.

Shepard and Garrus took cover behind a crate as the fighter drone powered up. It launched from the brackets into the back wall, blowing a giant hole through part of the station. There was no telling what damage it had really done before coming to a stop. Surely the station's structural integrity was compromised. The commander only hoped it held long enough for them to retrieve what they had come for.

“ _Impressive!_ ” Garrus purred as he nodded at the AI.

“The central lab was located _behind_ this hangar,” EDI informed them, looking directly at Shepard. “I suggest we follow the fighter’s path.”

“Noted. Let’s move.” Shepard half growled at that information.

They all heard the station’s AI call out an intruder alert just before the mech stepped into view. It must have been in one of the corridors the fighter had blasted through. The pilot was likely shaken even as he guided it out into the bay.

“Damn, they aren’t playing around, are they?” Garrus growled as the station AI called for the destruction of classified information.

“We need to get to the Catalyst before they wipe it!” Shepard snapped and threw a cluster of biotic grenades at the lumbering mech.

Those grenades took out the assault troopers pouring out of the corridor around the mech. She saw Garrus toss a handful of biotically charged heat syncs a moment later. They landed at the mech’s feet and went off with a thundering explosion. It teetered for a few seconds before falling over.

“We’ve broken their front ranks. Now we can cause some _real_ damage.” Garrus purred as he vaulted over the crate he had been tucked behind.

“We’re taking them down. We’ll blow the station if we can… before we leave.” Shepard nodded as they headed across the bay for a door. There was no way they could charge through the burning maw the fighter had left in its wake.

“Sounds like a plan.” Garrus snarked happily as he kept an eye out for trouble.

“EDI, can you get through this?” Shepard asked when she failed to bypass the door.

“One moment,” EDI stated as she touched the access and began tapping in codes. “Cerberus has updated their encryption. There may be a slight delay as I bypass security.”

“If I hadn’t brought you along…” Shepard breathed as she glanced away for a second.

“Cerberus would have succeeded in venting the hangar.” EDI glanced her way briefly. “You would most likely be dead.”

“Thanks for coming,” Shepard said quietly.

“I am pleased to assist,” EDI stated pleasantly as she continued her bypass. The second the door opened, the AI stepped through and turned back toward them. “We must proceed through a sublevel to avoid Cerberus containment measures.”

“Where do you think we’ll find the Prothean VI?” Shepard finally asked.

“The most secure area in this facility is the central lab,” EDI stated, indicating the direction with her thumb. “That is where Cerberus will have contained the VI.”


	84. The Citadel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even as Shepard moves through Cronos Station, chaos reigns on the Citadel. The Reapers are preparing the station to be moved to the Sol System.

Nihlus stood at the railing overlooking docking bay D24. He opened his omni-tool the moment he saw the Normandy pull out of dock. Tapping out a message, he sent it off to the salarian he knew was currently on board.

  
  


_Sender: redspirit@crucible.10.001.1158_

_Recipient: scientistsalarian@crucible.25.337.6824_

_Has the algorithm been installed?_

_Nih_

  
  


_Sender: scientistsalarian@crucible.25.337.6824_

_Recipient: redspirit@crucible.10.001.1158_

_Yes. Certain will protect ship’s AI?_

_Mordin_

  
  


_Sender: redspirit@crucible.10.001.1158_

_Recipient: scientistsalarian@crucible.25.337.6824_

_That remains to be seen. The hope is that it will. It’s in the hands of the spirits now._

_Nih_

  
  


Nodding at the last message, Nihlus simply closed his omni-tool. There was no more need to chat with the annoying scientist. The algorithm would work… or it would not. It was, as he had said, in the hands of the spirits now. There were a couple of ways they had all seen the Crucible dispersing energy. In his opinion, it was perfectly capable of wiping out everything, the Reapers, technology… even organic life. He hoped his modifications to the original design would curtail such annihilation.

Watching the Normandy move beyond his range of sight, Nihlus turned and headed back into the heart of the Citadel. It was time he reclaimed his Spectre status… and his life. Saren was long dead. The Reapers would soon join him if Shepard was successful. When the galaxy began to recover, the council would have need of every Spectre still breathing. He intended to be among them.

*

Castis sat reading a data pad in Shepard’s apartment. She had left them with the security code to come and go as they pleased. The place was much bigger than Tear’s tiny apartment. He and Solana had their own spaces while the asari took the master suite with the infant. It certainly was not Palaven, but it would have to do.

Sighing, he got to his feet and made his way into the kitchen. Pouring kava into a chipped turian made mug, he took it with him into the small office at the rear of the apartment. There were a great many things he should be doing, all of them involving C-Sec or Sparatus. Instead, he took a seat before the terminal. He made a call on his omni-tool and patched it through that terminal. The communications array of the Citadel had much better range than a simple omni-tool. Those frequencies were bounced through the relays, after all.

Castis waited for a moment, wondering if it was really such a good idea to call the man. For all he knew, he and his crew were already bunked down in hibernation for the next seven hundred years. That, of course, would be just his luck.

Just as he was about to cut the call, Alec Ryder appeared on the screen before him. The man looked as if he had been in bed, but clearly not down for hibernation yet. He yawned and raked his fingers through his disheveled hair.

“Castis… didn’t think I’d hear from you again before I take this seven century nap.” Alec said, attempting to smooth his hair back into some form of order.

Castis sighed and shook his head before making eye contact with the man. “Shepard’s story panned out.”

“You mean those Reaper things? Damn. I’m sorry. You have an escape plan?” Alec had come to full alertness at the mention of the Reapers.

“Garrus says the Alliance has something they’re calling the Crucible. Supposed to be some kind of Prothean super weapon, but… if it doesn’t work…” the elder Vakarian shook his head.

“There won’t be anyone left to ‘call home’ to when we come out of hibernation. This whole mission might be the last of us.” Alec nodded.

“Yeah.” Castis breathed and closed his eyes for a moment, pinching the soft tissue behind his nose plates. When he released it, he locked eyes with the human on the screen before him. “I mentioned that I didn’t wanna be around if those things showed up to wipe us out.”

“Castis…” Alec’s tone was one of warning at that. “Don’t do something stupid. You’ve got hope if the Alliance has a weapon. Trust them to see this thing through.”

“Maybe you’re right….” Castis said quietly with a nod. Other than getting so completely drunk he could not remember his own name, he had no idea what he was really considering.

“Look, we bunk down in a few days.” Alec began and looked at the turian pointedly. “If I don’t hear from you by then, I’ll have to assume this Crucible thing you mentioned failed. That will mean we’ll have to change some of our waking protocols, but we _will_ carry on. Make no mistake, _every race_ represented here will continue. We’ll torque the engines to full throttle the minute we breach the galactic barrier. With a little luck… we’ll be out of the Reapers reach before they even know we’re here.”

“Alright, Alec. You… get some sleep. I think you’re going to need it. If we’re still here after the Crucible is activated… I’ll send a message.” Castis promised.

“I better hear from you… even if I don’t receive it for another seven hundred years, old man.” Alec growled with a smile.

“Careful, Alec… you’re not that far behind me.” Castis allowed a soft burst of laughter to escape his throat at that.

“I gotta go, but I’ll have the comms open for as long as I can. It’s a perk of being the last one to bunk down.'' The human stated with a nod and a laugh.

“May the spirits watch over you, Alec… in case we don’t speak again.” Castis nodded, flicking his mandibles in a faint smile.

The elder Vakarian sat staring at the screen for several long moments after it went dark. His mind was blank and he felt numb. It must have been that detachment that brought the vibration to his attention. It was barely noticeable at first, but grew enough to rattle the windows in minutes.

“ _Spirits!_ What’s happening?” Solana yelled, her feet pounding down the stairs.

“Stay put, girl! The arms are closing!” Natearus barked from the balcony. “You’ll fall down those stairs if you’re not careful…”

“How…” Castis began as he staggered out of the office. He gripped the stair railing for balance.

The asari opened her omni-tool and keyed in a few buttons. The big screen above the fireplace flashed on with a live feed of the wards closing down. His eyes widened and his mandibles dropped slightly in shock as the feed caught several skycars banging into each other and drifting off from the surface of the wards. Grunting in disbelief, he realized they were no longer caught in the artificial well of gravity that surrounded the Citadel.

“ _Goddess!_ They’re moving the Citadel…” Natearus breathed the second the live feed switched to yet another surveillance camera. There was a Reaper sitting on the Presidium and the miniature mass effect monument was glowing. Its center spinning wildly.

*

Nihlus stared up at the top of the Presidium. He had not yet managed to reach the Council chambers. Now he was glad he had not as the Reaper embraced the tower. His one good eye felt as if it might pop right out of his head if he did not look away from the nightmare. He had read the reports, seen the vids and stills of Sovereign doing much the same, but he had not been present. This nightmare was on a whole other level in his own personal experience.

Turning away from the unreal vision, he looked out across the reservoir below. The glow of the mass effect monument drew his attention then. When the arms of the wards began to draw inward, his breath caught. He knew the atmospheric barriers would virtually shrink down to encase just the structures that clung closest to the surface of each.

Looking around, he realized he needed to move, and fast. He was not in a safezone. Once those arms closed, the atmosphere along the Presidium’s pedway would bleed off into space. He had no intention of dying here or now. Feet moving of their own accord, he ran at a near breakneck speed toward the nearest elevator as the Citadel shook around him.

Nihlus poked the button and waited, looking around anxiously as those arms drew closer together. Turning, he poked at it again a couple more times. _This damn thing isn’t moving fast enough_ … the thought hammered at his brain even as he spotted falling debris from one of the wards above. His mouth dropped open as a big chunk of a building splashed down into the reservoir. He knew it was one of those still under repair by the crane that broke free with it.

“Spirits….” his voice was barely a whispered breath as he looked down at the churning water.

A moment later the elevator door opened. The turian practically dived inside and poked the button for Zakera ward. C-Sec would have atmosphere-tight shuttles. He meant to secure one before locating Shepard’s bond-family. Their departure from the Citadel had not been logged. He knew they must still be on the station. The most likely place he could think of was the apartment Anderson had gifted her. Rather than make that guess, however, he realized sending off a message would be much more effective.

Stepping out of the shaking elevator the second it opened on Zakera, he opened his omni-tool. Castis Vakarian was his best bet. The man would not have gone far, not with his daughter still on the station. At the very least, he would know where the girl was. No doubt he would know where that annoying asari was as well.

The moment the message spun out into the digital abyss, he dashed toward C-Sec HQ. his run slowed to a brisk walk, dodging a multitude of panic-stricken people. It looked as if everyone had poured out of the buildings. Everyone was trying to see what was happening. _Idiots are gonna get themselves killed_. He meant to leave them to their fate and keep moving, but he saw a number of children among them. Even with that, he still tried to move on, to ignore them and continue with his current task.

The second he bumped into a turian child, he growled audibly. “ _Fuck!_ ”

Climbing up a short set of stairs he opened his omni-tool and keyed in a quick code. Holding just the lit ring up to his face, he shouted into it. It amplified his voice over the roar of the crowd. “Return to your homes and offices. It isn’t safe to remain on the pedways. If the arms close and you are still here, you will be killed by the lack of atmosphere.”

There was a collective gasp from the crowd. A heartbeat later they scrambled back into the buildings. It was not an orderly movement. Some were pushed, some fell, other’s dragged them back to their feet. It was chaos.

Instead of waiting or watching, the turian ran toward C-Sec HQ the second his path was clear. He frowned at the state of the place as he entered. Not a single officer was in sight. He supposed that was to be expected given the current circumstances.

*

Omni-tool pinging, Castis glanced down at it as the skycar zipped along the lower wards. He tapped a button on the console before him and engaged the autopilot. Opening his omni-tool, he read the message over a couple of times.

It said simply: _meet me at C-Sec HQ. I will have a shuttle prepped. - Nihlus Kryik._

“Nihlus…. Spirits, he’s supposed to be dead!” it was a gasp that left his lungs as he closed his omni-tool.

“Isn’t he the Spectre that was sent to evaluate Shepard? Didn’t Saren kill him on Eden Prime?” Sol asked quietly.

“It would seem… the spectre lives.” Castis said slowly as the closest landing zone came into view. “He’s securing a shuttle.”

When the car touched down roughly six hundred yards from C-Sec, they all scrambled out of it. The miniature mass effect relay not far from them was making the entire Citadel quake violently now. Castis glanced up when he heard the distinctive sound of cracking building materials. His eyes widened as his mouth dropped open.

Putting his hands on both his daughter and Nana’s backs, he gently pushed them with a yell. “Go! I’m right behind you!”

“You have the access codes! You have to go ahead or we’re not getting through the offices.” Solana gasped and shook her head.

Against his better judgment, Castis shot around them and raced for their destination. He spotted Nihlus stepping out the main door just as a thunderous crack ripped through the air around them. His eyes found the source and his heart nearly stopped.

“Oh… spirits….” he whispered and grabbed Solana’s hand, dragging her behind him. Natearus was just behind them with the baby.


	85. Illusive Discoveries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard and her team make their way through Cerberus HQ and find themselves heading for what appears to be an observation deck.

“Shepard, this console has not been fully scrubbed. It contains data you might find... _interesting_.” EDI looked back at her and indicated the console to the left of the door. A moment later the robotic woman stepped over to the door, raising a hand to it. “We will be through momentarily.”

Shepard headed over to the console and tapped a couple of keys. “What am I lookin’ at?”

EDI looked at her from the door, her head tipped down and to the side slightly. “Project Lazarus, your reconstruction.”

Staring at the screen for a moment, Shepard was not sure she really wanted to see the data logs the AI had suggested were still there. She hesitated until she felt the hand of the turian behind her gently close over her shoulder. With a sigh and a nod, she opened the first entry.

The first entry opened to an overhead view of a lab. The Illusive Man’s QEC image stood glaring at what was clearly a scientist. The scientist waved a hand at him. “It can’t be done. It’s not a matter of resources.”

“It’s _always_ a matter of resources. We’re _not_ losing Shepard.” TIM growled at the man before him.

“Sir… Shepard is clinically _brain-dead_. After that much trauma, _that_ long with no oxygen… we _cannot_ overcome nature.” the scientist stated in obvious frustration.

“Operative Lawson disagrees. _She_ is now in charge of Project Lazarus.” TIM said smugly. 

When the entry ended, Shepard shifted her weight from one foot to the other uncomfortably. When she found her voice again, her tone was subdued. “I didn’t realize it was that bad.”

“Pretty stark. You ok?” Garrus asked, his voice full of concern as he squeezed her shoulder gently.

“I’m _still_ me. I doubt I’d have been able to turn against Cerberus otherwise.” Shepard reached up, pressing his three-fingered hand firmly against her. Swallowing, she nodded, realizing he was trying to anchor her. “I don’t _remember_ anything. Maybe… they really just… _fixed_ me.” She looked down at her gloved hands and balled them into fists. Her body was organic, she knew that. But her brain, her mind, her thoughts… _what if_ … “Or… maybe… I’m just a high tech VI that _thinks_ it’s Commander Shepard. I dunno..”

Garrus slid his hand across her collarbones and gripped her opposite shoulder, pressing his mandible against her ear. His voice was firm and confident when he spoke. “You’re real… a little crazy, _maybe_ , but real.”

“How do you know? Really... Are you sure, Garrus? Because... I'm not so sure.” her voice broke as she closed her eyes and shook her head. This was all too much. She had always just assumed she was somehow still alive when Cerberus got their hands on her.

“Hmm..” he rumbled behind her. She could hear the thoughtful reflection in his sub-harmonics. There were faint words just below the surface, but she had been unable to interpret them in the last hours. His voice was soft, meant for her ears only when he finally spoke again. I…uh… _loved_ you… _before_ the Collectors took the Normandy. I doubt I’d feel the same about a VI… _or_ a clone.”

Shepard leaned into him for a moment longer before he released her. She let out a shaky breath and hit the next entry. He was right, he had to be. She knew what admitting that must have cost him. The turian held his affection tightly in check while out in the field, he had to.

“Tissue regeneration is proceeding. The helmet kept the brain intact… for... whatever good that will do.” the scientist informed TIM and spread his hands in near exasperation.

“Lawson will find a way,” TIM said with all the confidence in the world.

“Sir, you realized that Shepard is an Alliance officer. As far as she knows, we’re a terrorist organization.” the scientist reminded him.

“I’m not looking for a dance partner. We need Shepard, and Shepard needs resources. That’s my _daughter_ on that table. She’ll work with us… when she realizes that.” TIM snapped.

“He really had you boxed in,” Garrus said sharply.

“It never came up… not once. In all our conversations, our disagreements, our arguments… it never once came up that he was my… father.” Shepard shook her head and released a ragged sigh. “Every instinct I had told me not to trust Cerberus. But I needed their help. So I _played_ along.”

“You did what you had to, Shepard, and I was there _with_ you,.” Garrus said quietly. The calming effect of his voice settled her jangling nerves just a little.

Nodding, Shepard allowed the vid to cycle to the next log entry. She hit play praying there were no more surprises. The last thing she needed was some new bomb dropped in her lap.

“Project Lazarus is reporting neurological activity. They’re requesting more funding.” that same scientist reported. She was beginning to wonder if the man had a name. There was a blond woman with him in this log and she frowned. _Who is that?_

“Granted. Get me our potential recruits file. Shepard will be up soon. We need a crew.” TIM said, taking a hit off his cigarette.

“Our existing forces should be more than sufficient…” the woman began and her voice clicked then.

“Dr. Chloe Michel… I should have known..” Shepard growled half to herself the second she recognized her voice. The woman could change her hair color, but her voice would always remain the same.

“No. We need sympathetic faces. I need Shepard invested.” TIM shook his head slightly and continued. “Tap Kelly Chambers and recruit Donnelly. I imagine Miss Daniels will follow. We’ll want some old friends as well. Contact Dr. Chakwas and send me the psych profile on Shepard’s pilot… along with a bottle of 47 Thessia Red.” he reached for something just out of the QEC’s range and glanced back at them both pointedly. The man pointed at each of them in turn with his cigarette. “And make absolutely sure that graybox is doing nothing more than recording. I want her personality untouched. Tell Lawson… that means no control chip.”

“Sneaky little bastard. Used _them_ to keep _you_ from seeing the real Cerberus.” Garrus growled, a rumble of discontent thrumming through his sub-harmonics. “Looks like Dr. Michel was in on it from the very beginning….”

“And I never questioned it… any of it. I just took their resources and ran their errands,.” Shepard said coldly, closing her eyes and turning her face away from the screen. “ _How could I have been so blind?_ ”

“It happens to the best of us… one time or another,.” Garrus said softly, squeezing her shoulder. “I thought Dr. Michel was in real trouble at that clinic. Now… I wonder… could she have been in Fist’s pocket too?”

Glancing toward the AI, Shepard allowed determination to overcome her sense of betrayal. “How’s that door comin’, EDI?”

“We are clear to proceed,.” EDI stated calmly as the door opened before her.

“Good. Let’s move.” Shepard snapped a little more harshly than she had intended.

“Incursion team, what’s your status?” Hackett came over their comm link just as they slipped through the door.

“We’ve cleared the hangar and are inside the base,” Shepard reported blandly. She had no intention of giving any of them the information in those logs.

“Good work. Do you need support?” Hackett asked.

“Negative. Keep the heat on. We’ll find what we need.” Shepard said with a chill to her voice.

“Hurry things along as much as you can, Commander. We’re taking a pounding out here.” Hackett grumbled.

“Understood. Shepard out,” she said quietly and closed the link to Hackett.

The run to the next section of the stations was not uneventful. There were a number of troopers taken down along the way. The next logs she found were TIM and Kai Leng. As it turned out, TIM had given Leng explicit orders not to kill her. He had also authorized the use of force to retrieve the Prothean VI. The two orders had clearly conflicted with each other.

“It keeps coming back to Horizon,” Shepard grumbled as she absorbed the information these log entries had to offer.

“Sanctuary… that place was bad news,” Garrus grumbled.

“It could have been so much worse,” Shepard stated as EDI managed to hack her way through the door.

The moment they stepped through it, Shepard realized they were virtually boxed in. Frowning, she looked around. “Spread out. See if you can find a way through.”

EDI headed off to the right, apparently scanning for access points in any form. Garrus started off toward the left, crossing the hallway as he scanned the area with his visor. Shepard turned and looked along the wall behind her for another door. There had to be something.

“Shepard! Over here!” Garrus called from the other side of the hallway.

“It’s a hole,” Shepard said skeptically as she turned and headed toward him.

“To the floor below. We can work our way back up to this level.” Garrus nodded.

“Officer Vakarian is correct. We should be able to find an access point leading back to the level of the central lab.” EDI agreed.

“Ok.” Shepard nodded and glanced between them before turning her attention back to the blue hole before them.

A moment later, she dropped through it, her feet hitting the deck hard enough to wring a grunt from her. EDI followed with no effort. Garrus was the last one down. The impact caused him to stagger to his feet and she reached out to steady him. He gripped her arm and nodded in appreciation.

Frowning, Shepard realized it must be that leg still bothering him. She allowed him to move ahead of her a few steps and watched how he favored the right leg. That spur had never completely healed. They had so little downtime, it was no wonder he was still carrying wounds as well as battle scars.

As they walked into the open area that seemed filled with scaffolding and tech, she heard the turian’s breath catch as his eyes trailed upward. His voice, when he spoke, carried an edge of disbelief. “Looks like the human proto-Reaper we killed.”

“What’s left of it. I guess Cerberus recovered it from the base.” Shepard grumbled softly, glancing between her team. 

Garrus was growling audibly now. The expression on his face hardened as his brow-plates drew down to hood his eyes in anger. His nose plates bunched up, pinching together and his mandibles drew in against his face tightly. “All those colonists kidnapped, _processed into_ _**that**_ … and Cerberus _hangs_ it up like a _trophy_.”

“The Illusive Man convinced me to work with him to save the colonies. But he never really cared, did he?” she shook her head as she stared at that nightmare monstrosity the Collectors had created.

“I think he did. He just… cares more about studying it. The dead are only a statistic now.” Garrus dropped his gaze back to her. “Somehow, that seems even worse.”

Shepard just looked at him for a moment. _The Illusive Man is… my father. What must Garrus think of_ _ **me**_ _? Do turians believe the sins of the father overshadow the child? I… can’t do this without you.._. 

“Cerberus is actively using the surviving pieces.” EDI interrupted her thoughts then. “The head is largely intact. I believe they are using it for high-level computing operations.”

“We’re ending their little experiment… today,” Shepard snapped and took a step forward. “Let’s move.”

They had moved along the scaffolding only a few feet when EDI warned them. “More Cerberus troops en route.”

Shepard narrowed her eyes at the approaching troops. She spotted a couple of Phantoms among them and threw a shockwave out hoping to throw them off balance. There were screams and gunshots as most of them went sailing over the railing to their deaths. It felt too easy even as they ran for the ladder leading to the next level above.

“I thought hospitals were ugly to fight through. This is _so_ much worse,” Garrus groused.

“Least it’s not tryin’ to kill us this time.” cringing at the thought, Shepard glared up at the decimated proto-Reaper. _At least Cerberus hasn’t figured out how to reactivate the damn thing yet._ That thought, she kept to herself.

“This door leads to the central lab. Beyond is the main observation deck.” EDI stated as she opened the door.

With the team fanning out to take on any resistance, Shepard made her way to the door at the far end of the room. She was ready to be done with this station. The empty lab made it clear that the Prothean VI was not there. Her last hope was that observation deck. Maybe it was more than EDI thought it was. _It_ _ **has**_ _to be… or this whole mission was for nothing_.

“Shepard… looks like the Illusive Man was crazier than we thought. He let his scientists implant him with… Reaper tech,” Garrus said, his voice breathy in shock. “It’s so much worse than we thought… he let them do it… without anesthesia.”

“My god… he really is insane…” Shepard breathed and turned her attention back to the door. “The sooner we recover the Prothean VI, the better.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As a general rule of thumb, I almost never post on the weekends. We are so very close to the end of the game narrative now and I am getting anxious to start the post-war saga.


	86. A Harrowing Implication

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard and her team find their way into the main observation lounge of Cronos Station, only to find that it is the Illusive Man's office.

“This is it. Stay sharp, everyone.” Shepard said, glancing between Garrus and EDI. She had no idea exactly what they might find beyond that door.

The second the doors opened, she glanced around, pistol drawn and ready for trouble. Frowning, Shepard moved into the room. She took note of the reflective floor, the QEC pad, and the chair positioned before a bank of holo-monitors. Beyond was a huge viewport. The battle for the station was clearly visible against the backdrop of the dying sun. She had to admit, it was an epic view.

Stopping on the QEC pad, she glanced at the enormity of the room. The reflective ceiling above simply added to that feeling of vastness. In a way, it almost felt like standing in the void itself. 

Shaking her head, she grumbled under her breath. “Yeah… not again....”

Shepard took a moment to absorb her surroundings before moving purposefully toward that chair and console. She sat down, hands racing over the keys the second she made contact with it. “We need to locate the Prothean VI.”

EDI moved off to the right of the chair. The synthetic woman accessed the panel near it and began calling up data. The AI was efficient, she would give her that. There did not seem to be a terminal in existence the synthetic woman could not get into.

As she looked over data files and discarded them, she heard the distinctive draw of a breath on a cigarette. TIM’s voice followed casually. “Shepard. _You’re_ in _my_ chair.”

Shepard stood, turning quickly and drew her pistol from the holster strapped across the small of her back. She aimed it at the QEC image even though she knew that was a useless move. She nodded to the chair behind her as she spoke, eyes locked to him. “This chair’s about the only damn thing you have left. Cerberus is finished.”

“On the contrary, we have achieved everything I ever imagined,” he smirked before taking another hit off his cigarette. His eyes landed on EDI and he tilted his head back a fraction. “ _Almost_ everything.”

“Yeah…” Shepard skeptically, her eyes narrowing on him. Pacing toward him, she continued in a disgusted tone. “We all _saw_ what you _accomplished_ on Sanctuary. But it’s not the same as _controlling_ a _Reaper_.”

“A significant hurdle,” TIM said, gesturing with his cigarette. “But thanks to the Prothean VI, I _have_ what I need to make it a reality.”

“The Catalyst.” Shepard let out an irritated breath as she glared at him.

“Yes,” he said simply, slinging his arm about proudly.

“Mind telling me exactly what the _hell_ it is?” Shepard groused, crossing her arms.

“You’ll have to ask the VI yourself. I’m done helping you,” TIM said smugly.

“Pff… when did you _start?_ ” Shepard snapped, but she knew. She knew, if not for the man before her, she would be so much worm food.

“Make no mistake, the Reapers are still my enemies. I’m simply using their own tactics against them,” he practically purred. Then his expression hardened as he locked eyes with her again. “Everything, Shepard -- everything I’ve done has uplifted humanity. Not only above other species in our galaxy, but over the Reapers!”

“Bullshit! If you were willing to do everything it took, you’d have worked _with_ me!” Shepard snapped, pointing down at the floor to emphasis her point.

Garrus was prancing around at her side, clearly growing more irritated by the second. He pointed at the man and growled out, “You’re just in this for _yourself!_ If you were… honestly trying to help your species…. you wouldn’t have fought against us _every step of the way!_ ”

“I _don’t_ think so…” he said simply.

“You’re desperate. How many have you killed? Do you even know what the Catalyst is? What it does?” Shepard snapped, glaring at the man.

“You wouldn’t listen! You’re _still_ not listening… _same_ as your mother! She never listened either!” TIM snapped and pointed at her with his cigarette. “Destroying the Reapers would be the biggest mistake of our _brief_ existence.” he took a hit off that cigarette and continued. “And _nothing_ you can say will ever convince me otherwise.”

“The leviathan tried to control the Reapers…. They failed.” Shepard growled, shaking her head at the man.

“We never found leviathan. They’re a myth.” TIM denied.

“You think so?” Shepard snapped.

“We found them. Shepard spoke to them…. And they’ve joined the fight.” Garrus growled, stepping right up to the QEC ring and glaring at the man.

“The _only_ way we _survive_... is by _destroying_ the Reapers! The leviathan _know_ that.” Shepard put her hand on the turian’s arm in an effort to calm him. He glanced down at her with a slight nod.

“No. We _control_ the Reapers or we _die_. Just look out there, Shepard. _Humanity_ must show a _united_ front to the galaxy. With the Reapers under _our_ control… we can do that.”

Shepard’s scowl melted away to something akin to pity as she shook her head. “I’ve given you every chance to listen to reason. Cerberus is _done_ , and so are _you_.”

“Once again you’ve failed to recognize the truth. Cerberus is an _idea_ …. And that _idea_ is not so easily destroyed.” TIM waved his cigarette around with a greasy smile. “Besides, I’ve _already_ acquired what you’re looking for.”

Shepard glanced back at the synthetic woman at the console. “EDI?”

“I’ve almost got it.” EDI stated, there was a chill to her voice.

“ _EDI_ … I’m surprised at you. Working _so_ hard to bring about the Reaper’s destruction.” TIM purred.

“Don’t listen to him.” Shepard said flatly.

“Why use Eva’s body, when you could have destroyed it?” TIM blew out a breath.

“It was necessary.” she answered.

“My point exactly.” TIM paced.

“I’ve got it.” EDI announced an instant later.

“Alert. Security breach detected.” the VI said as it came online.

“Enjoy your little chat, but don’t overstay your welcome.” TIM snapped the moment he saw the VI. He turned and disappeared from the QEC.

“You are attempting to recover me from indoctrinated forces?” the VI asked.

“Yes. I need to know what the Catalyst is.” Shepard turned her full attention on the VI then.

“Security protocols have been overridden. I will comply.” the digital image of the VI transferred its weight from one foot to another and continued. “The Catalyst enhances dark energy transmissions and coordinates the entire mass relay network. In your cycle, it is known as the Citadel.”

“ _What?_ ” Shepard breathed in shock.

“The Catalyst is the Citadel.” the VI explained pointedly.

“ _All this time_ …. And it’s been right _under_ our noses.” Garrus let out a tsking sound, popping the heat sync from his rifle and throwing it across the room with a grunt of anger.

“So the Crucible and Citadel together can stop the Reapers.” it was not a question that left her lips as she glanced off toward the giant viewport.

“That is correct.” the VI stated blandly.

“The Citadel was _built by_ the Reapers. Why _give_ us a tool that can destroy them?” Garrus rumbled, running his hands over his fringe in frustration.

“The plans for the Crucible were passed down to us from the previous cycle. And countless cycles before that.” the VI informed them. “At some point, it is difficult to pinpoint when, the Crucible plans were adapted to incorporate the use of a Catalyst. Presumably, the Crucible was not sufficiently powerful to defeat the Reapers.”

“So… we use their own tech against them.” Garrus said thoughtfully.

“Precisely.” the VI confirmed.

“Why couldn’t you tell me all this before?” Shepard asked, taking a step toward the VI. “We have been chasing all over the galaxy for this information…”

“And it’s just been _sitting_ there… serving as a seat of power, a home, a place of employment… for… uh… the _entirety of our collective civilization._ ” Garrus sounded beyond frustrated and angry at this point.

“It was feared that if the Reapers were aware of the Catalyst’s intended use, they would retake control of it.” the VI explained. “I am programmed to withhold that information until the Crucible is complete.”

“It’s as ready as it’s ever gonna be.” Shepard snapped and turned toward the door. “Let’s get it to the Citadel.”

“That may no longer be possible.” the VI said, drawing her attention sharply back to itself.

“Do I even want to ask why?” Garrus growled.

“The one who broke through my security protocols. The one you call The Illusive Man, has fled to the Citadel and informed the Reapers of our purpose.” the VI explained.

“ _Dammit!_ ” Shepard snarled viciously.

“Then the Citadel is in danger. The Reapers will take control of it.” EDI offered thoughtfully.

“They already have. The Citadel has been moved to the Reaper controlled space.”

“Where?” Shepard rasped out, but she was certain she already knew.

“To the system you refer to as Sol.”

“Earth.” Shepard closed her eyes and nodded at the confirmation.

“Correct. The Reaper forces will now consolidate power around the Catalyst and protect it at all costs. The odds of accessing it are remote.”

“Don’t count us out yet. We’ve come this far, we’ll finish this.” Shepard said, putting all the conviction in her voice she could muster. “We’ll get the Crucible to Earth.”

“I hope you find success, but there is one more detail you must consider; the Reapers will destroy the system to prevent evolution from giving rise to another species capable of utilizing the Crucible design for another megaannum.” Tthe VI was completely toneless, unfeeling, but it’s words staggered the entire team. “The Catalyst will remain in the resulting nebula to be discovered in the next cycle.”

“ _Spirits…_ ” Garrus breathed as his eyes fell on Shepard.

“We have to go… right now!” Shepard shook her head and glanced toward her synthetic teammate. “EDI, get me Hackett. He needs --”

The commander was cut off by a biotic blast hitting the VI’s digital display, disrupting it. A sharp inhale of shock tore its way into her lungs as her head whipped around toward the door.

“Not so fast,” Kai Leng said, holding his hand up toward them as he stepped slowly away from the door.

“ _You._ ” Shepard’s eyes narrowed on the man. She meant to make him pay for Thane’s untimely death.

“He did warn you not to overstay your welcome,” Leng said calmly.

Before she could reply, Leng ran forward and thrust his hand down into the floor with a yell. A big chunk of the floor shattered beneath his feet. The second the floor was gone, he ran at her, his blade swinging downward.

Shepard barely got her pistol between her face and the blade, sparks flying from them both as they ground against each other. He was strong and attempted to push her off balance. She growled and thrust her foot into his middle, kicking him away.

“This is better than Thessia. More personal,” Leng laughed as he darted away. “All you’re doing is making humanity _weaker!_ ”

“ _You’re using Reaper tech!_ ” Shepard barked at him as she dropped down into the trench he had left in the floor.

“And I’m _stronger_ for it!” Leng laughed as he charged at her again. She barely dodged his sword thrust. “We evolve or we _die!_ _Those_ are the options!”

“I don’t agree with those…. _Options!_ ” Shepard snapped as she put a foot in his ass and shoved as he passed her.

Leng went sprawling, but did not stay down. He rolled up on his shoulders and thrust himself back to his feet with a sneer and a snarl. “ _Then you die!_ ”

She caught sight of Garrus pinging Leng with sniper rounds. Leng laughed and glared in his direction. “Is that the best you can do?”

“No.” Garrus growled and charged a handful of heat syncs with biotic energy. He threw them at Leng and hooted when they exploded. “How are the _legs_ , Leng? _Tired yet?_ ”

“You’re too slow,” Leng purred and dashed toward Garrus.

Shepard’s eyes widened as his intent became clear. Instead of panicking, she gathered her biotic energy and thrust herself along the stream toward the man. She brought her fists down on his shoulders with everything she had the instant she was in his face.

With an outraged roar, he threw her off. She landed hard on her side in the trench behind Garrus. The turian reacted by unsheathing his combat knife and burying it in Leng’s mechanical leg. He gave a vicious snarl as he ripped the blade back toward himself.

“You _ran_ on the Citadel. You _ran_ on Thessia… _You’re a coward!_ ” Garrus raged at him even as he grabbed the man’s wrist to prevent him from running him through with the sword.

“ _Shut up!_ ” Leng snapped and tried to jerk his leg free of the blade embedded in it. He grunted and tried to pull his knife hand away from the turian. “Even if you win, you’re _too late_ to stop what’s coming!”

“Maybe, maybe not… but _you_ won’t be there to see it!” Shepard snarled as she ran up behind her bondmate and hit Leng with a biotic blast that sent him flying.

When he did not get back up, the commander climbed up out of the trench and offered Garrus a hand up. The turian climbed up beside her with a nod. Turning, she headed back toward the console in the center of the room and took a seat.

“We need to get a message out to Hackett. He has to get the fleet to Earth.” Shepard said steadily. Her next words were a breathy whisper. “We’re outta time.”

Leng was making enough noise to wake the dead as he staggered to his feet behind her. She willed him to come for her. Her team made eye contact briefly and she shook her head just once, a barely perceptible movement. EDI turned back toward the viewport. Garrus stepped to the side of the bank of monitors with his visor facing the door. The commander knew he was recording this, but he would be at her side in an instant if she could not handle the man.

Shepard heard him shuffling closer seconds after his blade gritted into the floor. She could almost feel him drawing closer and so she waited. The second she heard him take a breath and felt the air off his sword as he raised it above her, she turned. Her fist slammed into the side of the blade and shattered it. In the same instant, she extended her omni-blade and rammed it into his side, between his ribs.

Gripping his collar, she pushed it in deep and snapped it off. “ _That’s for Thane, you son of a bitch!_ ”

As Garrus moved in closer, she released Leng and allowed him to drop to the floor. As the would-be assassin’s breath rasped and gurgled, the VI reappeared. It glanced down at him and then returned its attention to the commander.

“The Citadel is in position. The Reapers are preparing to complete their harvest of your species.” it informed the commander.

“I’ll stop them.” Shepard rasped at it over her shoulder.

“It is too late. I recommend investigating ways to preserve information for future species.” the VI insisted.

“I’ll stop them.” Shepard repeated firmly.

“What about him?” Garrus asked, indicating Leng with the muzzle of his rifle.

“He won’t be leaving this room.” she growled, her pistol found a mark on Leng’s head. Before the turian could say another word, her hand squeezed on her pistol. Brain and bone sprayed across the floor mere seconds before she turned toward the door. “Let’s go.”


	87. Sacrifices

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the Citadel rocking and rumbling around them. Nihlus attempts to drag his small rag-tag group onto the shuttle he has secured.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Break out the tissues. This one hurts.

Nihlus motioned for them to come to him the instant he was sure they saw him. He frowned a half heartbeat later when he saw the red clad asari moving quickly in behind them. The new cybernetic replacement he had so recently acquired allowed him to zoom in at a touch to the small circuits embedded in his temple. His undamaged brow-plate raised in surprise as he put a name to the pale-eyed face; Samara. He knew her from vids and by reputation alone. This was a formidable Justicar. From the way she fended off falling debris all around Natearus, he suspected they shared some sort of connection.

The others did not seem to notice the woman as they ran toward him. He thought that was just as well. Any distraction now might cost them their lives and he had no desire to see an infant die today. He continued to motion toward them, hoping they would get the idea to move a little faster. It had taken him some time to secure the shuttle and he meant for them all to be on board it before too much longer.

*

Solana glanced back to Tear running along through the few remaining people on the walkway. The asari was pale, the baby clinging to her screaming for everything she was worth. She heard another of those loud cracks and looked up, eyes widening. Her breath caught as a chunk of the walkway above broke free.

“Run faster, _Natearus!_ ” Sol yelled at the aging asari. She knew the use of her full name would irritate her to no end. It was the best option she had under the circumstances.

“You try runnin’ with a metal leg, girl! See how fast you go!” Natearus snarled back at her. Apparently she heard the girders above grinding and looked upward herself. “ _Goddess…_ ”

“Keep moving! You’re nearly here. _Don’t_ look up.” Nihlus called to them from the doorway of the C-Sec offices.

“Easy for you to say.” Sol grumbled under her breath as she tripped over a chunk of cracked concrete.

The sounds from above were deafening now and Sol resisted the urge to glance up. She resisted glancing back at the asari as well. Doing so, she knew, might well end in her landing face first on the walkway. There were small chunks of debris dropping from above as they drew closer to C-Sec. _Just a few more yards. We can make it. We have to_.

A crack like thunder rumbled through the air a moment later and Solana could not resist the urge to glance up. A keen escaped her at the sight. Two girders were ripping loose from above. They were directly above Natearus and the infant and her only thought was to rush back to drag the old asari if she had to. Her father held her hand firmly, however, forcing her to keep pace with him.

The whole of the Citadel rumbled and seemed to stand still in a blink. Time stretched before snapping back into being as the undersized mass effect relay at the heart of the reservoir flashed blindingly.

Sol fell to her knees at the sudden jolt, twisting around to stare at the unfamiliar sight beyond the docking ring and Presidium. A blue and green planet drifted blissfully through space just beyond the Citadel. It had taken the place of the Nebula’s light.

“Spirits…. That’s _Earth…_ ” she gasped out mere seconds before those girders let go. Her focus returned to the asari, a horrified expression on her face as that whole section of the upper walkway collapsed over the woman. Her voice was a hoarse cry, unheard over the rumble. “ _Tear!_ ”

Castis tried to hold onto her, but she tore away from him. Solana scrambled toward the pile of rock and debris and started digging. “Solana… they’re gone… We have to move.”

“They’re _alive_ …. _They have to be_ …” Sol keened, the sharp edges of rubble tearing at her gloves.

“We have to _go!_ ” Castis insisted, taking hold of his daughter’s shoulders. She pushed him away roughly and continued digging.

“Then _go!_ I’m staying!” Solana snapped. The words were barely out of her mouth when a large slab of the upper walkway shifted before her. “ _I told you she was alive! Help me!_ ”

*

“That’s… not possible.” Nihlus hissed from behind them. He had moved in close to assist in hauling Solana away from the pile of debris if need be.

Looking around for something to use as leverage, he snatched up a twisted pole as long as his leg. He rushed forward and wedged it into a gap between their walkway and the remains of the other. With a grunting snarl, he put everything he had into forcing that slab up and to the side. A moment later, Castis had joined him. Their combined strength rolled the slab just far enough to see the glow of a biotic bubble. It flickered as they shifted the slab again.

Solana put herself in harm’s way to dig out the gap they had created. The two males continued heaving at the slab until it rolled completely to the side with a deep grating sound. The sight it revealed, Nihlus wished a thousand times he could unsee.

“I… cannot… _hold_ this… much longer.” Samara wheezed in a strained voice.

The sight of her alone was not what froze the turian’s blood. It was the girders that had crushed everything below her ribcage that turned his heart to ice. She held the infant in one arm while the other struggled to hold the barrier in place. Natearus was on her side, near where Samara’s feet should have been. He realized the Justicar must have been the one within the crowd he had seen moving in close to the others. His new cybernetic eye had not been wrong, after all. _Fortunate for Natearus and the infant. Not so fortunate for Samara_.

“Tear…” Solana whispered, gently shaking the elder asari. “Wake up. We have to go.”

When Nana’s eyes rolled open, Sol keened in relief. The asari was clawing her way up to the pinned woman the second her eyes landed on her. There was a look of horror, followed by grief on her face as she looked the situation over.

“Sam?” Nana moaned, her hands hovering just over the top of the girder between them.

“Take... the baby... Take her...” Samara gasped out in barely a whisper, gritting her teeth against the pain. “ _Goddess._.. _please..._ ”

*

Nana pressed her hands to the top of that girder for a few seconds before nodding to herself. She sent a trickle of biotic energy around it and made the attempt to shift it out of desperation. It did not budge a fraction that she could see.

“ _ **Stop!**_ _Natearus... goddess..._ _ **stop**_ _...! It'll kill me_.” Samara cried out, gasping sobs ripping out of her when Nana tried to shift the girder in front of her. She shook her head. Catching her breath, she glanced down at the girder then back up at the asari before her. Nodding her head, she pressed her hands to the top of the girder and let out a steadying breath. “This is it, dearest.”

“ _No, Sam… no..._ ” Nana all but sobbed the words. She did not move when Solana took the screaming child from Samara’s arms.

“I’m… already half gone..” Samara took a shuddering breath and nodded, looking down at the girder. She nodded before looking up at Nana again. Reaching out to caress the elder asari’s face, she smiled, her voice barely above a whisper. “It’s alright… it’s alright… we’ve _won_. The Crucible is… docking…”

Nana tried to pull away from Nihlus the moment he attempted to guide her away from the dying woman. She wanted to stay by Sam’s side. “ _Get off me, boy!_ ” she raged at him.

“We have to move… right now.” Nihlus growled and refused to release her.

“ _I… said, get off me!_ ” Nana snarled and grasped the dark energy that governed all biotic power. She meant to throw him off if she must.

“Go, Natearus!” Sam wheezed and threw her hand out toward the elder. The last of her biotics refocused on her mate to push her aside.

“ _No!_ ” Nana cried out as she and Nihlus hit the floor.

In the same instant the slab of debris the Justicar had been supporting with her biotics, crashed down over her. She had redirected the flow from holding it up to shoving her mate out of harm's way.

Nana scrambled to her hands and knees, attempting to reach what they could no longer see. She sobbed the other asari’s name as she did so. “ _Sam_ …”

*

“Come, Natearus. She sacrificed herself so that you might live. Make it mean something.” Nihlus growled near her ear flange as he hauled her to her feet. She did not struggle this time, she simply allowed him to do as he willed.

Nodding toward the door, he glanced at both Solana and Castis before he guided the grieving asari toward C-Sec. It was time they left the Citadel. He knew it was only a matter of time before the Normandy entered the system. Shepard would find a way to activate the Crucible soon. _Soon, it’ll be over soon… and then we can all begin to heal_.

Listless and unresponsive was a condition he had never thought to see this particular asari in. Nihlus knew her more in passing and reputation than actual interaction. Even still, she had been a force to be reckoned with. Now she seemed so very small and old, as if she were crumpling in on herself. He pushed the thought to the side as he guided her through the offices and out into the exterior shuttle bay.

“I’ve secured a shuttle near the exterior bulkheads. It will ensure our escape from this death trap.” he rumbled just loud enough for those around him to hear.

If he had not known better, he might have sworn he was alone in the shuttle bay. The others said nothing. If not for the shuffling sounds of their feet, he would have glanced over his shoulders to be sure they were still with him.

They were silent even as they reached the shuttle. Nihlus keyed the hatch open and the other two stepped in. Nana stood her ground before him stiffly. It was the first resistance he had noticed from her since the other had allowed the walkway to collapse.

“I’ll be staying, boy. Things to do here.” Nana said hoarsely.

“We don’t know what the Crucible will do to the place when Shepard activates it.” Nihlus looked down at her, his voice quiet as he searched her pale green eyes.

“Exactly the point. We don’t know what will happen. Nether does Shepard.” Nana sighed and shook her head before locking eyes with him again. “You go on. Take care of them. I’ll… take care of… Shepard.”

“You know I can’t let you remain here. I’ll drag you into the shuttle and tie you to a seat, if I must.” Nihlus growled at her.

“I’d like to see you try.” Nana growled back and drew up a biotically shimmering hand.

“Tear... “ Castis rumbled softly from the open hatch, his mandibles sagging loosely around his face. “I have already stood vigil for my mate… don’t force me... to stand vigil for you as well.”

Nihlus stood by, waiting for this little drama to come to its inevitable conclusion. He hoped the asari listened to reason here, but part of him suspected he might be forced to knock her stupid and fulfill his threat of tying her to a seat. Under different circumstances he thought it might well be amusing, possibly even challenging, to wrestle her into the shuttle.

Nana glared at the two of them, her hand still glowing and crackling with energy as she doubled her fist. With a ragged sigh, she dropped her hand and released the energy she had gathered. “Fine, but you owe me.”

“After you.” Nihlus said calmly and waved a hand toward the hatch. Her agreement seemed far too easy.

“Would you get out of my tentacles, boy? I’ll be along in a minute.” she grumbled and crossed her arms, glaring at him.

Nihlus heaved a frustrated sigh and crossed his own arms with a nod. “I can stand here until the place falls down around our heads. Or… your blue ass can climb up into that shuttle on your own. I can just as easily carry you onboard. Your choice, but one way or another…” he leaned down, his face less than an inch from hers as he bared his teeth. “... you’re getting in there.”

“You wouldn’t dare.” Nana snapped.

Rather than argue with her until the Citadel collapsed around them, he moved like lightning and wrapped his arms around her waist. Before she could yelp, he had heaved her onto his shoulder and carried her like a sack onto the shuttle. The turian realized he was tired of her grousing as he dumped her into a seat and yanked the harness around her.

The moment she was secured to the seat, arms decidedly strapped to her chest, he held a finger up in her face and growled angrily. “Stay!”

Nana gave him the nastiest look he thought he had ever seen on an asari. He did not care at this point. With her hands pinned, she could not do much with her biotics anyway. That much he was fairly certain of, or he might have already been flayed. Again, he did not care. It was time to leave and he was done with her games.

Heading for the pilot’s seat, he virtually threw himself into with a grunt. Glancing at the console, he noted it was not much different from a standard shuttled. Tapping a few keys, slinging a couple of holo-panels to the sides, he engaged the engine quickly. The Citadel shook around them and he wasted no time in lifting off and sending out a signal to the shuttle bay door nearest them to open.

 _Earth’s old space station… that might be our safest bet. Spirits know the planet’s surface is far from safe_. That was where he intended to take them as he pulled the shuttle through the station’s kinetic barrier. The blare of a Reaper’s primary weapon jolted him out of his pondering thoughts and he scanned the shuttle’s sensors.

“ _Dammit!_ Strap yourselves in back there.” He yelled and looked the console over again as the Reaper came into visual range. Growling, he glanced up at it through the forward viewport. “It’s gonna be a bumpy ride.”

  
  
  



	88. Full Circle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus has come to realize this whole thing has been one giant circle spiraling back in on itself.

The way back to the shuttle was quick and relatively uneventful. The few Cerberus troops that remained were scrambling to escape the station. Few noticed them and fewer still bothered to try and stop them. By the time they entered the bay, Cortez was waving them toward the shuttle. Clearly he had finished the repairs.

“We gotta go! This place is gonna blow!” Cortez shouted as he stepped back inside the shuttle.

Shepard climbed in behind the team. Garrus watched the lack of emotion settle across her face. He knew the mask of command when he saw it. There were few emotions she would allow to slip past it. He also knew why she had donned it now. The Catalyst; they were all still digesting that piece of information.

The more he thought about it, the more he realized it had to be the most obvious thing in the galaxy. The Reapers had built the Citadel. The Prothean VI had shown them the pattern of evolution and a Reaper had even told them that civilization was guided along certain paths. _So why didn’t we see it? The Citadel… the relays… they’re all Reaper tech. Spirits, they must think we’re ignorant vermin_.

Their flight back to the Normandy was made in silence. He followed his bondmate to the comms room the moment they touched down in the shuttle bay. She said nothing, merely glancing at him as they entered the room.

“Shepard…..” Anderson was attempting to adjust the QEC feed on his end. His image and voice were both garbled. “You read me?”

“Barely,” she said as she came into the QEC’s range.

Garrus stepped over to a small console along the side and attempted to clean up the feed.

“I assume you’ve heard about the Citadel,” Anderson said.

“Just now.” Shepard breathed with a nod.

“Do we know what’s going on? Why it’s here?” Anderson asked, his voice sounding almost desperate for answers.

“The Citadel _is_ the Catalyst.” she gestured helplessly with her left hand. “Thanks to the Illusive Man, the Reapers are now aware that we know.”

“And so they moved it here? To protect it?” Anderson asked, a note of disbelief in his voice.

“As far as I can tell,” Shepard confirmed.

Garrus glanced back at her as he moved away from the console. He knew she was omitting ‘the best part’. There was no telling how the man might react to the knowledge that his entire world, his entire solar system was in danger of being wiped out.

“What does this mean for the Crucible?” Anderson was full of dire questions.

“I’ll talk to Hackett about that but… it looks like our plan is even more desperate now.” she nodded, her tone dropping on the last.

“Agreed.” Anderson nodded and glanced toward Garrus as he came into range of the QEC. “I’ve got a team here in London. We’ve been seeing preparations for something. It looks like we know what the Reapers have been preparing for now.”

“Any recon information you can gather might give us a much-needed advantage,” Garrus suggested quietly.

“Good call, Vakarian. We’ll scout it out, see what information we can dig up.” Anderson made full eye contact with him then and nodded. His attention turned back to Shepard then. “Well… at least we’ll be seeing you sooner rather than later.”

“Be careful, sir,” Shepard said with a nod of her own as she moved in just a little closer to the QEC image.

“You too, Shepard, Vakarian… Anderson out.” his image dissolved a moment later.

“I’ll head down to the battery, make sure the ‘giant gun’ is ready for this,” Garrus said quietly as he started to step past her.

Shepard shook her head and caught his elbow. Her words were a whispered plea. “I need you close.”

“Alright…” Garrus said slowly with a nod. He knew this news was hitting her harder than she wanted to admit now.

As they stepped through the checkpoint, he heard the two privates chatting. Campbell was saying something about Cerberus being finished. Westmoreland was anxious to get into a shuttle so she would not have to tell her future grandkids that she had spent the entire war guarding a door. Garrus huffed a snickering laugh at that and received a glare from Campbell.

“I hear the birds are heading in with the rest of the fleet…” Campbell clamped down on her words the second the commander noticed.

Shepard must have noticed because she stepped up to the woman who went absolutely rigid. “Do we still have a problem with interspecies crew, private?”

“N-no, ma’am.” the woman stammered, her eyes wide as they shifted between the commander and her turian bondmate.

“Good, because if there was… I’d let my _bondmate_ eat you.” Shepard said quietly, sounding incredibly serious. She glanced back at him and pointed toward his mandibles. “You see, turians are primarily carnivores. Those teeth… those are meant for _ripping_ meat. And you…” she smoothed the private’s collar down. “You’re just a sack of _meat_.”

“Y-yes, ma’am. It won’t happen again, ma’am,” the private snapped.

“This is your last warning, private,” Shepard growled and stepped back. “As you were.”

The moment they reached the elevator, Garrus gave her a withering look. “Was that _really_ necessary?”

“No, but… I feel better,” Shepard murmured.

“You know… I had something _better_ in mind… to _nibble_ at.” Garrus purred as the doors closed.

“We win this thing and I won’t let you out of bed for a week.” Shepard smiled and stared at the doors.

“I’ll hold you to that.” Garrus nodded with a flare of his mandibles. When the doors opened on the crew deck, he glanced at her askance.

“I thought we’d hit the battery. You can check on that ‘giant gun’ and I’ll take a look at the tactical map.” Shepard nodded and stepped out.

“Sounds good,” he admitted and followed her.

“I’ll catch up to you shortly. I need to see Chakwas for a minute.” Shepard said, dragging her fingers along his forearm before peeling off toward the medbay.

Garrus settled himself into the battery fairly quickly. He wanted to make sure the ship’s guns were perfect before they stepped into this battle. There was no question in his mind that this was it. They were heading to the Sol system, taking the fight to the Reapers. The next few hours would decide the fate of the entire galaxy. It was a daunting revelation.

When he heard the battery door open, he had not expected to see Tali step in. she took up Shepard’s customary position at the end of the console. It felt a little too cozy to him and he moved to lean against the ever-scrolling console on the far end of the railing.

“What brings you up here, Tali?” he asked casually.

“You like games of chance, Garrus. I thought I’d offer you a friendly wager.” she purred.

“That depends on the stakes.” Garrus rumbled softly, still unsure of exactly what she was proposing.

“I’m betting you’ll enjoy the stakes.” Tali leaned on the console and rested the chin of her mask on her knuckles.

“Alright… highest headcount then,” he said, his interest piqued despite himself.

“Highest kill count. Winner takes all.” Tali said with a giggle. Then she sighed and shook her head slightly. “Why didn’t we ever get together, Garrus?”

Mouth opening in shock, Garrus started to say something when the battery door opened again. His eyes found Shepards with a faint flaring of his mandibles. The thrill that raced through his chest at the sight of her never failed to pleasantly squeeze his heart and make it beat just a little faster. There were times he still felt intoxicated by the love he felt for her. He hoped that feeling never ceased to present itself during their most intimate moments.

“Shepard. We were just saying goodbye.” Tali said awkwardly.

“And… making friendly wagers.” Garrus finally found his voice. He was proud of the purr he was able to direct toward his bondmate.

“ _Optimistic_ wagers, in your case.” Tali retorted.

“A turian military operative competing with a quarian mechanic, and I’m the optimistic one?” he tried to keep the laugh out of his voice at that.

“Do you remember Ilos?” Tali asked.

“Yes,” he grumbled and rolled his eyes. “It was filled with geth, which _tilted_ the odds in your favor.”

“Excuses, excuses.” Tali let out a faint giggle at that.

“I doubt you’ll be hacking any synthetics this time.” Garrus could not help the rumble of irritation that vibrated through his sub-harmonics then as he pushed himself off the console and sidestepped toward Shepard.

“I still have the shotgun,” she said casually.

“I’ll be sure to let a few Reaper forces get close enough for you to _use_ it.” His purr was a little less than friendly and he doubted either of the women really noticed.

“Uh... Thanks. Of course, if they get _past_ me, they’ll be right on top of _you_.” she huffed.

“That’s what the armor’s for.” he rumbled with a flaring of his mandibles.

Shepard did not seem to notice the change in the atmosphere. If she did, she let it slide as she shook her hands out. “You two have been with me longer than most. You believed in me when nobody else did. Thanks.”

“Keelah se’lai, Shepard,” Tali said and clearly meant it.

“Well… you _did_ give me some incentive,” Garrus said as he wrapped an arm around the commander. He swore he was not going to get choked up, not now. They still had a war to win. It took him a moment, but he finally found his voice again and looked down at her with a nod. “At least we finally killed Lieutenant Bastard Kai Leng. I just hope we get to do the same to his general.” 

“We’ll get him. It’s just a matter of time.” Shepard nodded. Shaking her head, she sighed a moment later. “We just have to win this war first.”

“It’s kind of amazing how everything’s come full circle.” Garrus gave a thoughtful rumble, his sub-harmonics resonating loudly. “The Citadel’s been the center of _galactic_ civilization, a _Reaper_ trap, and _my_ source of employment for a _long time_ … and now it’s our salvation for any chance of winning this war. I think it’s time we got you back home, Shepard.” he paused long enough to run his hand up her arm to squeeze her shoulder then. “Earth will either be remembered as the place _we beat_ the Reapers…” he let out a faint tsking sound and shook her head at the next thought. “..or it’ll be a smoking ruin for the next cycle to wonder about.”

“We’re not leaving a smoking hole in the galaxy, Garrus. We’re coming out the other side of this thing.” Shepard said quietly.

“We don’t have much choice.” he nodded and then huffed a faint laugh. “So… who needs their ass kicked now?”

“Probably you, you bosh’tet. Shepard doesn’t want to hear how her homeworld might become a smoking pile of rubble.” Tali snapped at him.

“It’s alright, Tali. Garrus is just keepin’ it real. I’ve always respected his honesty, not about to stop listening now.” Shepard said softly as she squeezed his waist ever so slightly.

Grunting faintly, he suppressed a moan of pleasure. “We… uh… we should check on Joker. See if he’s ready… to come face-to-face with an army of Reapers.”

“Agreed.” Shepard nodded with a sigh.

*

Joker sat nursing a drink at his station. Normally it would have been coffee or tea, maybe hot chocolate, but not today. Today it was Thessia Red. He glanced around the chair when he heard the door behind him open. Shepard came walking in first, Garrus trailing her. He grinned and snorted before turning back around and downing the contents of his glass.

“You remember our first first run to Eden Prime all those years ago, with that turian Spectre watching us?” he asked quietly.

“Nihlus.” Shepard provided his name like it was only yesterday.

“Yeah… that’s him. I told you that mission was gonna be bigger than we thought.” Joker nodded as he looked over his console.

“I think you can mark that prediction down as accurate.” she sighed with a nod, leaning against the back of his chair.

“And now we’re heading back to Earth.” Joker said in a subdued tone, spreading his hands.

“Is this mission gonna be _bigger_ than we thought too?” Shepard asked, but he heard it in her voice. She was hoping he would not make that kind of assessment again.

“Man, I hope not.” he sighed, looking into the bottom of his empty glass. “A nice routine delivery run would be _fine_ with me.” After a moment, he glanced up at her standing there leaning slightly over his chair. “It’s been an honor, Commander.”

“Same here, Joker. I don’t know how it’s gonna end, but whatever happens…” she said and stepped over toward his right side.

“What do you mean ‘whatever happens’? Everybody knows what’s _gonna_ happen.” he leaned to the right and glared at her then. “You’re gonna kick some Reaper ass. That’s what you do.”

“He.. uh.. He has a point, Shepard.” Garrus laughed from somewhere behind him.

“And I’ll be flyin’ you there in style.” Joker stated with a firm nod of his head.

“Then lay in a course, Joker.” Shepard breathed and clasped her hands behind her back. “Inform me when we reach the relay.”

The commander and her bondmate had not been gone long when he received the comm signal from the Fifth Fleet’s flagship. He watched the ship pull up alongside them and glanced down at the priority message blinking across his console.

“Commander, you’ve got a priority message from Admiral Hackett. He’s requesting permission to come aboard.” Joker said into the comm.

“Permission granted.” Shepard said, her voice sounded tight.

“Aye, Commander.” Joker squirmed just a little a flipped a couple of holo-switched to allow the docking tube to open the airlock.

A moment later, he glanced around the back of his chair and watched the admiral march in with a couple of fully suited soldiers in tow. _Well this was a real good idea. Are they gonna arrest her again?_ Joker growled to himself.


	89. Beginning of the End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard watched Hackett march purposely toward her. The crew saluted him, he ignored every last one of them. That was not usual when an officer was on the move, however.

Shepard watched Hackett march purposely toward her. The crew saluted him, he ignored every last one of them. That was not usual when an officer was on the move, however.

“Commander,” he said as he came to a stop before her.

“Admiral.” She acknowledged with a salute. To her surprise, he returned the salute and held it.

“Are you ready to bring the might of the galaxy to bear on the Reapers?” he asked in a hard voice before dropping his salute.

“Yes, sir!” she said firmly, dropping her own with a sharp snap.

“Then let’s make sure the fleets are ready.” Hackett nodded and briefly shook her hand.

“All fleets reporting in, sir,” Traynor said from her station beside the galaxy map.

Hackett climbed the steps up to the railing and clasped his hands behind his back. “Never before have _so many_ come together -- from all quarters of the galaxy. But never before have we faced an enemy such as this. The Reapers will show us no mercy. We must give _them_ no quarter. They _will_ terrorize our populations. We must stand fast in the face of _that_ terror. They will advance until our last city falls, but _we_ will _not_ fall. _We_ will prevail. Each of us will be _defined_ by our actions in the coming battle. Stand fast. Stand strong. Stand together. Hackett out.”

The moment he was finished, he came back down and began walking with her. “Shepard. The sword fleets are ready to strike at the Reapers surrounding Earth. While they keep the enemy engaged, you and Hammer ground forces can take London.”

“London?” Shepard asked, glaring at the man. He seemed ready to waste her efforts and she wanted to know why. “Why aren’t we hitting the Citadel directly?”

“Anderson can brief you on that,” he said calmly as they made their way to the QEC. The moment they stepped through the doorway, they saw that Anderson was already waiting for them on the QEC disk. “Admiral? How are you holdin’ up?”

“We’re ready to end this,” Anderson said as his image paced across the QEC disk. He had moved to the far side of the disk in order to bring up an Image of the Citadel. “But as you can see, the Citadel has closed itself up since it appeared over London.”

“Dammit...” Shepard breathed, pushing herself roughly off the railing between them. “Gotta get those arms open to dock the Crucible.”

“Exactly.” Hackett pursed his lips in thought.

“We have a plan, but... London is surrounded by Hades cannons. Hammer transports can’t land while they’re active.” Anderson said, pacing again as the Citadel’s image vanished. “You’ll lead a squadron of small shuttles. Infiltrate with a ground team to take out the cannons using heavy weapons. Hammer can land, and we’ll set up a forward operations base.”

Shepard shook her head and let out a sigh, rubbing the back of her neck thoughtfully. “I still don’t see how we’re gettin’ to the Citadel from London.”

Another image popped up beside Anderson then and he pointed out a few details. “The Reapers use this beam to transport humans, alive and dead, to the Citadel. From the FOB, Hammer will launch an all-out assault on the Citadel beam. Everyone who makes it that far, will take the beam to Citadel, then locate and activate the Citadel arm controls.”

“Once we see those arms opening, Shield Fleet will escort the Crucible to the Citadel.” Hackett stepped out of his parade rest position and glanced between them with a nod. He cut an arm through the air to emphasize his next point. “But timing will be _critical_. We don’t have enough firepower to keep the Crucible safe for long.”

Shepard crossed her arms and let out a breath on a note of irony. “And I thought uniting every species in the galaxy was a challenge.”

Anderson nodded with a sigh of his own. “It’s desperate. I don’t even want to guess at our odds. But…”

“But… this is the only plan we’ve got.” came the distinctive dual-toned voice of her bondmate from the doorway. “Victus just filled me in. We can’t wait. The Reapers will… decimate our forces.”

Hackett’s eyes narrowed on the turian, but he nodded just the same. “Conventionally… we can’t defeat the Reapers without the Crucible.” his eyes found hers a moment later as his voice hardened. “Get the Citadel arms open, Commander… _whatever_ the cost. We’ll do the rest.”

“Yes, sir.” Shepard nodded as the man turned to leave.

“Good luck… to all of us,” Hackett said, glancing back at her before glaring at the turian as he passed him.

“I’ll see you in London, Commander. Anderson out.”

Shepard nodded though the man had already left the QEC disk. She turned back to her bondmate and reached out to lay a hand on his bicep. The plan was desperate and if Victus had filled Garrus in, she had to wonder where the man actually was. The turian nodded and followed her out of the comms room a moment later.

The privates were silent when they passed through the checkpoint. All eyes turned to them as they made their way through the CIC. This whole thing carried an ominous undercurrent to her. Big as it was, she chalked it up to just how much was actually riding on her shoulders. She knew she was not alone in this. There were others, higher placed than her, calling the shots. She knew that, but it did not make the burden she carried feel less.

Stepping into the cockpit, she crossed her arms and glanced up at her turian bondmate before focusing on Joker. The pilot was running system configurations to align them with the mass relay.

“Approaching the Sol Relay, Commander,” he confirmed barely a heartbeat later. He glanced back at her with a nod. “We’re through the relay in 30 seconds.”

Shepard watched out the viewport as the familiar streamers of light zipped by. She felt the faint jolt of the jump and saw hundreds of ships come into being around them. Alliance, turian, quarian, asari…. They were all there to do their part in this battle.

“Alliance fleet reporting,” Joker reported as he received checks from each prong of their militia. “Turian fleet reporting. Asari fleets reporting.”

_~Quarian fleets accounted for and ready.~_ came the voice of Kaal Reegar across the comm.

_I didn’t realize he was still alive. Does Tali know?_ Shepard made a note to inform the quarian the first chance she got.

“Geth fleet reporting,” Joker stated as he swiped another panel to the side.

_~Major Kirrahe here. All STG battle cruisers standing by.~_

_~Kabalim Quanoxin reporting in. All Cabal units are ready to move on your mark, Commander.~_

“All fleets reporting in, Commander,” Joker confirmed after a moment. “Ready to engage on your command.”

Shepard stood there waiting, watching as they advanced toward the swarms of Reapers surrounding her homeworld. There were so many of them. She glanced up at Garrus, wondering how many more of each of their races they would lose today. _How many will die before this ends? God, how many can we afford to lose before there aren’t enough to sustain each species?_ Those were questions she could not face just now.

“This is it, everyone. On my command, engage the Reaper forces.” Shepard brought her gaze back to the viewport and barked. There was no time to consider what _might_ happen. She needed to focus on what _would_ happen. The Reapers were closing in, but so were they. Her eyes narrowed and she waited a heartbeat longer.

_~Roger that! All fighters on me!~_

_~Ready when you are, Commander.~_

_~Awaiting your orders.~_

_~Light the fires and kick the tires! Let’s send these Reaper bastards back to hell!~_

The comms lit up with confirmation of readiness from every species and every fleet.

“ _Fire!_ ” Shepard shouted the second she saw a Reaper shift to bring its primary weapon to bear on the Normandy.

Every ship in their armada cut loose in that very instant. The Reapers took the hits in strides, but still kept coming. The Normandy added her thanix cannons to the fight and ripped through the Reaper closest to them. Overall, however, they did not seem to be doing enough damage.

The very Reaper they were taking apart turned and blasted a turian cruiser into so much stardust. Joker fired the Normandy’s cannon once more and the Reaper joined its target as burning debris. There were fighters swarming everywhere and she noticed a number of Oculus drones darting in and out of the firefight as well.

“Breaking off. Preparing for decent.” Joker informed her as he banked the ship toward a path that had been cleared.

They took a few hits as they maneuvered through the battle. An alarm klaxon wailed and Joker ignored it. Shepard thought he might have switched it off under the circumstances. Instead, he continued his maneuvers. He was determined to get the team in as close as possible.

Nodding, she turned to head for the shuttle bay and stopped when Joker called to her. She turned back as he swung himself out of his seat.

“Commander.” the second his feet were firmly beneath him, he snapped a salute. “Be careful down there.”

“We’ll be fine. Stay focused.” Shepard said, purposely keeping the emotion out of her voice. She snapped a salute to him respectfully and nodded.

“Aye, aye,” he said proudly, his posture nearly perfect in those moments.

Shepard looked to Garrus and motioned toward the door with a nod. He followed her out of the cockpit. They headed directly to the elevator and took it to the shuttle bay. Cortez and James were already waiting. She and Garrus geared up quickly and made their way into the shuttle. 

They had barely kicked free of the Normandy’s kinetic barrier when Joker’s face appeared on the comm screen. “Advanced teams are away. Hammer’s in position and waiting for you guys to clear a path. Normandy’s rejoining sword.”

“Stay safe. I’ll be back before you know it.” Shepard said firmly.

“I’ll hold you to that. Normandy out.” Joker nodded before he closed the link.

“We’re closing in the LZ, Commander,” Cortez stated from the pilot’s seat a moment later.

Shepard walked to the front of the shuttle and stopped behind him. She gazed out the viewport at the airspace before them. “How’s it look?”

“Like hell,” he said quietly and pulled up a real-time feed on the monitor at the rear of the shuttle. “Take a look for yourself.”

“Sorry, Shepard. I _know_ it isn’t easy.” Garrus said quietly as she rejoined the team at the rear of the shuttle to get a look at that feed.

“I barely even recognize it.” she breathed as the images of burning cars, collapsed buildings, and scattered bodies scrolled across the screen.

“ _Shit._ We got a lock. Hold on!” Cortez barked, hands dancing across the console as they all heard the Reaper blast. “Shuttle two is hit! They’re going down! _Dammit!_ ”

“Status,” Shepard called as she made her back to him.

“That was the squad responsible for taking out that defense turret.” Cortez breathed as he glanced up at her.

“Who’s on it now?” Shepard asked slowly.

“Nobody… Everyone in the vicinity is either deployed… or shot down.” Cortez’ voice held an ominous tone to it.

“Drop us off.” she made a decision there on the spot. There was no choice. Her team would have to deal with that turret.

“Ma’am?” Cortez asked, twisting around to look at her.

“Not a lot of choices here. We’re it or Hammer can’t land. That thing will blow them out of the sky.” Shepard grumbled as she turned back toward her team. 

“Understood,” Cortez confirmed.

“Change of plans, people,” Shepard called as she headed back into the main personnel section of the shuttle. “We’re taking out that Hades Cannon.”

“On _foot?_ That’ll be a _challenge_.” Garrus dropped just a little snark on that idea.

“The heavy artillery is on the downed shuttle. You’ll have to get to that first… and hope it’s still intact.” Cortez said from the front.

“Well… that just made a challenging task…. next to _impossible_. Any more good news?” Garrus rumbled.

“Perfect…” Shepard breathed in frustration before locking eyes with each of her team in turn. “You heard the man. We gotta find the weapon that shuttle was carrying.”

“With you, Shepard… no matter what.” Garrus nodded, his voice dropping on the last as he turned toward the hatch, drawing his assault rifle.

The hatches opened on an assault of weapons fire. She and her team took cover behind the door frame and the lower ramp that had not extended. Watching for a few seconds, she saw a break and yelled. “Now! Go! Go!”

Garrus was the first to charge out and take cover. James followed, splitting off the right. Shepard charged straight up the line and threw a shockwave into the clusters of Cannibals. As they scattered and dropped, she kept moving.

“Damn! I can’t stay here, ma’am.” Cortez barked into her comm.

“Get clear! Come get us once we take out that turret.” Shepard ordered as she fired her pistol point-blank into a Cannibal's face.

“Roger that. Cortez out.” the shuttle pilot acknowledged as he lifted off and flew by overhead.

“Alright, guys! Let’s move!” Shepard barked at her team, glancing back at them.

_~This is Captain Johnson. Hammer’s gettin’ torn apart. We need those guns offline. Now!~_ came a female voice across the comm.

“Watch it! You got Brutes!” came Cortez’ voice as the shuttle made another pass.

Head whipping around in an attempt to spot those giant monsters, Shepard ran up the crumbling slope of debris. She reached the street level and took cover quickly when she spotted a Marauder just a few feet away. It went down under sniper fire from her bondmate and she moved ahead a little further.

“ _Shepard!_ Brute -- 2 o’clock!” Garrus yelled as he blew past her to the left.

Finally she spotted it and threw a cluster grenade at it. Part of her wished fervently that those grenades were more effective against those things. Realistically, she knew the only sure way to bring one down was to take out the head.

“ _Get down!_ ” came a dual-toned female yell an instant before a slender purple armored blur shot past her.

The commander’s eyes focused on the female the second she leapt off a crumbling block of cement. The turian thrust a biotically glowing omni-blade down on the Brute’s neck with a yell. As it fell, she flipped away from it to land in an open patch of the scorched street. Lilfrey ran toward Vega’s position an instant later.

The comm crackled the moment Shepard took cover close to Lilfrey. She frowned at the sudden burst and tapped her implant to switch frequencies. “Shepard here.”

“Spectre.... Kryik... any........ frequency..... under heavy..... Reaper.... …....... near Earth. …........ read me?” the comm cut out and she realized he had been broadcasting on a universal channel.

“Nihlus! Come in! Do you read me?” static followed her call and she smacked a fist down into her palm. “ _Dammit!_ ”


	90. Preparations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nihlus tries desperately to navigate the shuttle past the Reapers in his way.

Nihlus did not care that the asari had managed to wiggle free of the harness he had all but tied her to the seat with. He barely noticed her when she tossed herself into the co-pilot’s seat and pulled up the secondary console. The turian simply glanced at her with a nod as the supplemental commands began to scroll across his console.

 _She’s good, I’ll give her that_ , he thought wryly as he followed through with those command strings. The shuttle banked hard and shot between two of the Reaper’s legs a split second before the primary weapon fired. It just missed them as they shot toward Earth’s old space station.

“ _Spirits!_ ” Nihlus yelped in shock as the second Reaper came into view. The shuttle barely avoided being vaporized by a blast from its primary weapon as he maneuvered it frantically.

“Oculus tailing us!” Natearus snapped a few seconds later.

The shuttle rocked half a heartbeat later when a blast hit their flank. He wasted little time keying the comm frequencies open. Grumbling, he realized they might have no choice but to head for the planet’s surface. That certainly was not his first option with the last known members of the Vakarian clan on board.

“Spectre Nihlus Kryik to any ships on this frequency; we are under heavy fire from Reaper forces. Our shuttle is near Earth. Does anyone read me?” Nihlus called out to the fleets he knew must be pouring in soon. He tried several times to raise someone only to hear static crackling on the other end.

“They don’t hear us, boy,” Natearus grumbled softly as her hands danced over her section of the controls.

“We have two options; the space station or the planet’s surface,” Nihlus stated in a matter of fact tone.

“There are Reapers between us and that station. Doesn’t look like the place has power anyway.” Natearus said as she scanned the station. “We’d be better off taking our chances on the surface.”

“Are you up for that? If we run into Reaper forces… _Can_ you hold your own? Will you even try?” Nihlus asked her. It was an honest question. Frustrated as he was, he still managed to leave the bite out of his tone.

The asari glanced at him, eyes narrowing dangerously then before nodding. “We take our chances on the surface or we die here. You’re choice, but I will _haunt_ the living shit out of you if you survive… and I don’t.”

Nihlus could not contain the huffing laugh that escaped him at her words. “Alright, Justicar. The surface it is.”

“Good. Now let’s shake that oculus bastard before we hit the atmosphere. I don’t know about you, but I'd rather not have to fight it on foot.”

“Agreed.” Nihlus nodded as his nerves began to settle just a little. With the Justicar gathering her wits about her, they might just stand a chance at surviving this thing.

*

Nana glanced down at the console before her with a hard look. _The Kryik boy is good, but nowhere near as good as he thinks he is_. Without the addition of her skills, they might not have made it past that second Reaper. _That oculus is gonna be hard to shake. Maybe lose it in the atmosphere. Burn it up on re-entry_. _Sam could have popped its circuits with a thought._ She pushed the thought viciously out of her mind. Samara was gone. There would be no more arguments, no more fighting side-by-side, and no reconciliation between them. That time had passed beyond her reach now. _I’ll see you again in the hereafter, Sam. Goddess knows it can’t be long now_.

“I can’t shake this bastard!” Kryik snapped and Nana glared at him for a moment.

“Bounced off the atmosphere. Skip across it a couple of times before committing to descent.” Nana suggested. She only hoped the turian got it right. If not, they might end up BBQ themselves.

“You’re crazy!” he breathed, both his organic and cybernetic eyes locked to her.

“A little crazy never hurt anyone, dear. Now skip us like a stone across a pond. That’d roast this bastard,” Nana growled.

“I don’t like this…” the turian grumbled as his hands raced across his console.

“Don’t have to like it, just _do_ it,” Nana growled in a clipped tone.

The shuttle bucked and shuddered when he did as she told him. Her sensors were locked onto the oculus behind them. She doubled a fist and shook it in triumph when it exploded behind them. Her eyes snapped to the turian with a nod then. “Use the momentum of the explosion to push us into the atmosphere!”

Nihlus nodded, his eyes darting this way and that, but he did not question her this time. He did as she suggested, taking it as something closer to an order. They dipped into the atmosphere, roasting their underbelly as they went. The rush of atmosphere around the hull roared through the cabin like some great dying beast.

The moment the shuttle stabilized, Nana tore herself out of her seat and rushed to the crew compartment. Her eyes found the two turians huddled together, Lydera tucked between them. Solana looked positively terrified. Castis simply looked resolved, perhaps determined.

“We’re landing. We stay with the shuttle as long as possible. Ride this thing out until Shepard activates the Crucible.” Nana said in a low voice as she knelt painfully down before them.

“And if the Reapers find us?” Castis asked quietly.

“Then we give them hell before they take us.” Nana said firmly.

“What about the baby?” Solana asked, an almost horrified look pinning itself to her face.

“As the humans say; we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it, dear. Just keep her close.” Nana’s voice was firm, but there was a chilly edge to it.

*

The descent was not overly dramatic. Nihlus found a partially collapsed building to tuck the shuttle into. He was not sure how long they might really be able to hold out, but he was willing to give it a try. The Reapers would find them… or they would not. It was a simple equation. Yes or no, but everything was riding on that answer. The local maps he had been able to pull up told him they were in a city called London. From the looks of things, the Reapers had hit it exceptionally hard.

The moment he powered the shuttle completely down, he stepped out of his seat and headed toward the rear of the shuttle. There was a weapon’s locker back there and he meant to arm them all. The majority of his own weapons were back on the Citadel. He had had no time to retrieve them, but at least he had not lost his pistol.

Passing by the others and ignoring the curious looks, he yanked the locker open and started rummaging through it. There was a variety of C-Sec issues weaponry in there. He glanced at Castis with a nod as the male stepped up to his side. The male had been C-Sec, he reminded himself. He very likely had a preference in weapons.

“All standard gear…” Castis said thoughtfully as he peeked into the locker beside Nihlus. The Spectre watched as he reached past him for a sniper rifle, hefting it out and testing its balance. Glancing back at his daughter, he grabbed a shotgun a second later. “Solana…”

The girl nodded and caught the shotgun when her father tossed it to her. She looked it over carefully, checking the heat sync and nodding in satisfaction. Nihlus flicked his mandibles in a brief smile of approval at the determined look on her face. There was an air of self-confidence about the girl as she handled the gun. He had not expected to see such a sure touch when he first met them.

“There another shotgun in there, boys?” Natearus as quietly from her position near the child.

Nihlus shifted a couple of assault rifles out of the way and found a snub-nosed shotgun in the bottom. He held it up, glancing back at her questioningly. When she nodded he tossed it in her direction. She caught it deftly.

For himself, he drew an assault rifle out of the locker along with a bag of fresh heat syncs. He knew they were likely to need them should the Reapers find them. In reality, it was only a matter of time. Already he could hear the sounds of distant weapon’s fire. He had no idea how close to the main battle they might have ended up.

“How long do you honestly believe we’ll be able to stay here?” Castis asked quietly at his shoulder.

Nihlus held up a hand for silence and listened to the distant sounds. After a moment, he locked eyes with the male. “Not long. They’re moving this way… and fast.”


	91. Grim Outlook

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard and her team take down a defensive turret and manage to make it to the FOB. It won't be long before the real work begins.

“ _Dammit!_ You’ve got airborne hostiles inbound! Gonna try to keep ‘em off you,” Cortez barked into the comm as they moved up a crumbling ramp of sorts.

“Careful, Cortez…” Shepard said as she climbed up onto a ledge leading toward the downed shuttle. She glanced up the second she heard the shuttle flying over and cringed when the Harvester fired on it.

“ _Dammit_ , I’m hit!” Cortez barked as flames shot out of the rear of the shuttle.

“Steve…” Shepard whispered harshly as the shuttle dove toward the ground barely under control.

“I’m alright!” Cortez called out in a strained voice.

“You sure?” Shepard asked as she simply stood there for a moment.

“Yeah, but I won’t be picking you up anytime soon. Gotta land this bird quick. Make some emergency repairs,” Cortez answered.

“Get safe,” Shepard said firmly.

“Anything for you,” Cortez confirmed with a half laugh.

“We have to move, Shepard,” Garrus rumbled near her as the Hades Cannon fired again, shaking the ground beneath their feet.

Moving up that ramp, Shepard darted into the cover of a shattered building. There were Cannibals scattered throughout the broken shell. She glanced at Garrus as he took cover on the opposite side of the broken wall.

“There’s the shuttle… surrounded…” He was pointing toward what remained of the downed shuttle.

Taking note of their positions, she nodded and was about to step out of cover when Lilfrey practically threw herself at that shuttle. The turian woman slashed at the Cannibals in her path with her omni-blade and disappeared inside the charred hull. A moment later she emerged with one of the biggest guns Shepard thought she had ever seen.

“Lilfrey! Marauder at 1 o’clock!” Shepard shouted the second the mechanically augmented turian appeared around the bow of the burned out shuttle.

The turian’s attention whipped around to the approaching Reaper-spawn and before Shepard could call out another warning, she had virtually pistol whipped it across the face with that big gun. It went down hard and merely twitched a couple of times as Lilfrey stepped over it. The commander thought she was just a little too calm with all the chaos surrounding them.

“Shepard… know what to do with this?” Lilfrey asked as she held the weapon out to her.

The commander nodded and took the gun. As she looked it over, she realized the turian would have had trouble firing it. The controls were designed for five fingers instead of three. It would have been difficult, but still possible.

Nodding, she hoisted it up on her shoulder and turned to face the Hades Cannon that was still blasting its beam into the sky periodically. She knew there were ships going down under that blast every few seconds.

“I’m gonna make that thing eat this missile,” Shepard said coldly.

“Hell yes! Right down its throat!” Garrus hooted near her other shoulder.

Shepard took a steadying breath and leaned into her aim. The target was huge. She could not miss it, even at this range. With her next breath, she pulled the trigger. The PPC took a few seconds to power up before it launched the projectile.

For a few tense seconds, she thought she might actually have missed. She wondered if there were more rounds for the gun as she stood there watching, waiting for something to happen. The moment she began glancing around for more ammo, the Hades Cannon exploded and toppled to the ground.

“Nice shootin’, Commander!” James hooted a few seconds later.

_~That’s it! Gun down!~_ came the cheer of Captain Johnson as she confirmed the target was down. _~All Hammer teams, prepare for landing.~_

“Time to go,” Garrus stated just as she set the now useless weapon to the side.

Shepard tapped the implant near her ear. “We need an extraction. Anybody read?”

The cry of a banshee forced them all back into cover mere seconds later. Shepard pulled her pistol free of the holster and squatted down behind a shattered window. Her team, she noted, had taken up defensible positions nearby.

“Heads up! We got company!” Garrus growled softly as he pointed out the screaming creature the second it came into view.

Shepard’s mouth dropped open in protest when Lilfrey ran at the mutated asari. The banshee was fast, but the turian was faster. Her combat knife sank deep into its chest while her omni-blade thrust up through its throat. It gurgled once and dropped, taking the turian woman down with it. She followed through and rolled away from the fallen creature.

“This is Commander Shepard. Any Alliance personnel in the vicinity?” the commander called through her comm again.

“Commander. Prepare for extraction,” came a male voice with a heavy British accent after what seemed an eternity of fighting. She saw the shuttle coming in an instant later. It dropped to their level, on the outskirts of the ruined building and the hatch opened. The same man yelled, waving an arm as he leaned out of the hatch. “Come on! We’ll cover you!”

Shepard wasted no time in dashing out of cover toward the shuttle. She fired off a few rounds to the left as she ran. The jump was small compared to some she had made. She covered the distance with ease. James landed just behind her as she staggered in. Lilfrey followed quickly. Her eyes fell on Garrus as he ran toward the shuttle. He barely missed a step, jumping and skidding halfway across the floor to slam into the opposite wall.

The Alliance officer who had called to them hit the release and the hatch sealed behind them. He glanced toward the shuttle’s cockpit, pounding on the panel between them. “Get us out of here, Corporal!” Turning his head, his eyes found Shepard with a nod. “You ok?”

“I’m alive.” Shepard let out a breath with an appreciative nod.

“That you are, Commander,” came the jovial half shout of a very familiar voice from behind.

Looking over her shoulder, a huge smile split her face at the sight of a battered Anderson hanging onto one of the personnel straps behind her. “Anderson!”

“I knew _you_ wouldn’t let me down, Shepard.” The admiral nodded and looked her and the team over critically.

“It’s good to see you.” Shepard nodded and clasped his forearm firmly.

“And you’re a sight for sore eyes too,” Anderson murmured as he patted her shoulder and withdrew.

“Tell me this situation is better than it looks… because right now… It looks pretty grim.” Shepard released a frustrated sigh and glanced at her team before locking eyes with the admiral again.

“With the Hades down, Hammer can finally land,” Anderson said, sounding incredibly relieved.

“And not a moment too soon.” the other man standing near the hatch said, crossing his arms as he leaned against the bulkhead.

Anderson nodded, his eyes locked to the other man for a moment before he looked to her again. “What’s left of the resistance is holding a Forward Operating Base. But the Reapers are countering, trying their damnedest to rip through our numbers. We need to regroup. It’s gonna be up to Hammer to take up the fight from here.”

“We’re cut off from the rest of the Alliance out here, aren’t we?” Shepard asked, eyes boring into him for answers she knew he likely did not have.

“That’s gotta be brutal… Supply chains are crucial at a time like this.” Garrus grunted from his place not far from the wall he had slammed into.

Anderson glanced over at him with a nod. “It’s been touch and go from day one. The Reapers are focused on the main centers. It’s easier to avoid direct contact if we steer clear of those areas.”

“Until London.” the unidentified soldier leaning against the bulkhead piped up again.

“Yeah... “ Anderson sighed grimly. “We held back as long as we could. Half the recon teams we sent out were decimated. We lost… _so many_ planning this attack. We managed to hold out with the help of soldiers like Major Coats here. Knowing you were bringing help… we held out.”

“Without you and your resistance, we’d be dead in the water.” Shepard stated flatly.

“A joint effort is the only way we beat these bastards.” Garrus rumbled softly.

“Yeah…” Coats half growled as he pushed himself off the bulkhead. “The admiral’s being modest. He’s the reason _any_ of us are still alive.”

Anderson waved him off. “Let’s not start handing out medals just yet. This fight is just getting started. And Hammer better be ready for it.”

“Whatever it takes… We have to win this.” Shepard said and glanced down at the scarred floor briefly.

“Good.” Anderson agreed and turned toward the monitor at the rear of the shuttle. “That’s what it’s gonna take.”

“We’ll get it done, Anderson.” Shepard said firmly as the man stared at the view of the ruined city.

Anderson glanced back at her before nodding at the screen. “I was born in London.”

“Really?” Shepard asked, curious now.

He nodded, his eyes shifting toward her again. “One small city in the grand scheme of things… The entire galaxy might look like this if we don’t stand united. Too bad it took the Reapers to bring us all together.”

“ _Shepard’s_ the one that brought them together.” Garrus said harshly, glaring up at the man from the seat he had taken.

“That’s exactly what I meant.” Anderson nodded, but the look he gave the turian was one of caution. He looked to the commander once more with a nod. “I know you didn’t like leaving, Shepard, but nobody else could have accomplished what you’ve done.”

“It’s good to be back home.” Shepard nodded with a sigh as she rested a hand on her bondmate’s shoulder.

“We’ve reached the FOB.” Coats announced from his place near the front of the shuttle.

“That’s good. Give Hammer the all-clear,” Anderson ordered.

They were just one of dozens of shuttles moving in to drop off personnel. The shuttle rocked as another nearby exploded. The second they reached ground level, Shepard hesitated for a few heartbeats before stepping out. She heard, more than saw, the team one shuttle over, go down under a pepper of bullets.

A few of those soldiers made it out onto Earth’s surface before the Reaper-spawn took them down. Reaper-spawn went down, soldiers went down and all across the ruins of a once great city, the screams of the dying filled the night.

“It’s too hot here! We need to get closer to the FOB!” Coats yelled as the shuttle hovered for a moment longer. He banged on the partition between them and the pilot a couple of times and the shuttle lifted off again.

Shepard glared at the monitor in the rear as they flew over more decimated ruins. They had not gone more than a few city blocks before dropping through the top of a roofless building. The shuttle touched down and the hatched opened again. She followed Anderson out this time into a calmer section of the city. This, she realized, must be the outer edge of that base.

A soldier stepped away from a crumbling arched window and saluted before pointing to a build across the street. “Admiral, we’ve set up a command center in the building over there.”

“Looks like we’ve still got groups coming in.” Anderson said, glancing up at the shuttles moving along overhead.

“Yes, sir, but not as many as we’d hoped.” the soldier confirmed.

“Hmm..” Anderson hummed thoughtfully before turning his attention back to the commander. “I’ll get settled in. See how the plans are going. Come see me when you’re ready, Shepard.” and with that, he simply headed off toward the command center.

“Will do.” she nodded at his retreating back. She glanced at Garrus as he stopped mere inches from her side.

The turian nodded and locked eyes with her for a moment before looking up at the few shuttles moving across the night sky. “He’s right. I expected to see _more_ of Hammer here by now.”

Shepard nodded and stepped over toward that window, looking out at the debris and ash floating in the air. “A lot of them won’t be making it.” looking down at the shattered pavement of the street below, she let out a breath and shook her head. “Go on ahead. I’ll catch up.”


	92. Terminal Connections

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard is surprised to see Nana has made it to Earth. She's saddened to hear of Samara's loss, but continues moving forward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought I'd give you guys a couple of chapters today... hehehe

“The fighting here has been some of the worst on the planet,” Coats said, moving in a little closer after her team walked away. “It looks bad, but there’s still hope. And… you’re here. It’ll do the troops good to see you. Bolster their resolve.”

Shepard took a breath, looking down before glancing up at him. “I’m just a soldier like them.”

“ _You_ might see yourself like that, but _they_ don’t. Like it or not, Commander, you’re a hero to these men and women.” Coats shook, his gray eyes piercing right through her. “Don’t discount the effect that can have on them. I better go meet up with my battalion. I’ll see you at the Command Center.”

Shepard watched him walk off a moment later. She noticed the wires hanging out of the ceiling above her still sparking. Coats swung himself over the ladder in the far end of the room and slid down, out of sight. She turned her attention back to the world outside and sighed. _This really is the end of us, isn’t it? All those end of the world myths finally came back to bite us in the ass…. In the form of the Reapers. God, why didn’t we see this coming?_ She shook her head at all the questions crowding into her mind, yammering for attention.

Watching for a moment longer, she noticed a small group of soldiers sealing off part of a barricade between a couple of buildings. Closing her eyes briefly, she nodded to herself and let out an anxious breath. Without a second thought, she headed toward the ladder and slid down to the ground floor.

The sounds of fighting were louder here as she moved toward the cracked pavement of the street. She heard radio chatter further ahead as she jogged through the chaos of activity. Stopping for a moment, she listened in on that chatter. Anything information coming in about the Reapers might be useful.

 _~Be advised: Recon units Echo Bravo and Echo Charlie have checked in.~_ a woman’s voice crackled over the system.

“What did they find?” the marine maintaining the radio asked harshly.

 _~Reports indicate once you’re past once you’re past the base, it’s no-man’s land. Enemy interdiction has been 100 percent. They said one of the big Reapers swept through the area.~_ the woman replied sharply.

“Did Echo team have a recommendation?” the marine asked cautiously.

 _~Affirmative, advise delaying next wave of Hammer.~_ she answered.

“Damn… we’re getting murdered out there,” the man’s second said incredulously.

“We don’t have a choice,” the first said to him before switching his attention back to the radio. “Negative on that delay. Will advise command on that situation, but Hammer proceeds as planned. Over.”

~Acknowledged.~ the woman on the radio said roughly.

“We have word from the other outposts?” the commander of this small unit asked as he keyed the antique radio again.

_~Enfield reports 80 percent KIA. Camden: 75 percent KIA. Redbridge: 92 percent KIA. Kensington: 100 percent KIA.~_

“Wait… repeat your last,” he said in shock.

_~Say again; Kensington reports 100 percent killed in action.~_

“All of them?” the question dragged itself out of the man as he seemed to hold onto the weapons crate before him for support.

 _~A burst transmission SOS reported they were overrun by enemy forces. No word since. All personnel presumed dead.~_ the woman on the other end answered.

“Shit.” The team’s second shook his head, looking up at his commander with wide eyes. “Thompson and Dewhurst were posted there.”

“Maybe they got out. We don’t know for sure.” another man suggested.

 _~Will advise as more intel becomes available.~_ the radio piped up again. _~Harrow’s-field command reports increased Reaper activity on the northeastern perimeter.~_

Another voice followed hers on that radio now. Chatter all across the field was starting to come through. _~Acknowledged. Turian support is being rerouted via approach vector Nine-Three-Niner. Confirm.~_

 _~Harrow’s-field command has been advised. Air control is transferring now. Advise turians that frequency encryption ‘Constant Viper’ should be maintained on all channels.~_ Harrow’s-field confirmed.

Shepard kept moving, dreading the next few hours even more than she had before. She spotted a doorway with a hastily tossed up communications array just outside. That would be a means to communicate with anyone outside of this district. With that in mind, she entered the building.

“Yes, Commander. Is there someone you’d like to reach?” the communications tech asked as he glanced up at her.

Pacing for a moment, she thought about who she really needed to check on in this mess. Zaeed came to mind. She had no idea if he had managed to scrape together that band of mercs he went looking for months ago. Looking the man in the eyes, she asked. “Can you patch me into Zaeed Masani.”

“Yes, ma’am.” the tech answered after a moment. “I have a link for him. Patching you through now.”

A few seconds later Zaeed’s holo-image appeared on the QEC. he shifted, tugging at his belt uncomfortably. “Almost thought you weren’t gonna make it, Shepard. Glad I was wrong.”

“You doin’ ok, Zaeed?” she asked, hoping he might volunteer a little information.

“Yeah, yeah… Hope you got one hell of a speech to get everyone moving. Looks like we might need it.” He stepped forward on the platform and looked her right in the eyes. His voice dropped and took on a serious note. “Never seen anything like this.”

“We don’t stop it now, it gets worse,” Shepard said calmly.

“No kidding,” Zaeed said, stepping back a fraction and shifting his weight. Just doesn’t feel like a _real ground_ war when your opponent is taller than a damn skyscraper. Still, no need talking about it. We’re ready to go when you are. Let’s gut the bastards.”

“Is there someone else I can connect you to?” the tech asked the moment Zaeed cut the connection.

“You got a link for Samara?” Shepard asked and waited for his reply.

“No, ma’am. I’m sorry. Her link went dead twelve hours ago.” he answered and continued to scan what he had available. “I do have a link for a… Natearus T’Loak. Claims to be a Justicar.”

“Patch her through.” Shepard snapped.

When Nana’s QEC image appeared she barely recognized the asari. The woman was geared in traditional asari armor. Her cheeks were drawn, almost haggard and there was a sadness wreathing her that Shepard had never seen there before.

“Nana… how are you on Earth? I left you and the others on the Citadel.” Shepard asked quietly.

“Good question, girl. Half the Citadel is in rubble. The arms weren’t meant to close as fast as those bastards triggered them. The Crucible is waiting to dock, but the arms are still closed.” Nana answered, hefting her shotgun up on her hip.

“And… my family?” Shepard asked very softly.

“With me… and that Kryik boy. He located the Commando unit Sam was meant to lead. I’ve taken command of them in her stead. We’re to meet up with Lilfrey’s Cabal unit an hour from now.”

“And Samara?” Shepard asked cautiously, not entirely sure she wanted that answer.

Nana’s face crumpled for at least three thunderous heartbeats as she turned to look off at something to her left. She shook her head a moment later. “Gone… and I mean to dish out some justice.”

Shepard stopped herself from calling the elder asari out on her thirst for revenge. They all deserved to satiate that thirst today. The Reapers had it coming, after all. Instead, she simply nodded at the woman she had known most of her life.

“Fight well, Justicar Natearus,” Shepard said, thrusting her chin out at the woman.

“Victory or death, Commander Shepard.” Nana returned the formal gesture and raised her shotgun in salute before her image disappeared.

“Anyone else you’d like to speak to, Commander?” the tech asked, his hands dancing over the console.

“Kasumi Goto?” Shepard asked after a moment. She really wanted to know how things were going up there on the Crucible now.

A few seconds later, Kasumi appeared on the QEC platform and crossed her arms. “Hey, Shep, you ready down there?” the master thief asked.

“Depends… You got the Crucible ready?” Shepard asked with a touch of snark in her tone.

“Oh, it’s ready. No idea what it’ll do exactly, but it’s gonna be big. Good luck, Shepard. If you live through it, drinks are on me.” Kasumi stated with a serious nod.

“Anyone else?”

“Grunt,” she breathed. She knew that krogan was likely getting into more trouble than he could dig his way out of.

A moment later, his image appeared and he turned around to look at her with a big grin. “About time you got here, Shepard. Didn’t wanna win this thing all by myself.”

“Good to see you too.” Shepard gave him a wry smile.

He leaned in as close as the QEC would allow. “Wouldn’t miss it. Shepard…”

“Yeah?” she asked.

“Thanks… for getting me out of that tank.” He looked her straight in the eye then.

“Sure, Grunt. It’s been an honor,” she nodded.

“Same here… Mama. Tell Pops to give ‘em hell. Heh-heh-heh. Grunt out.”

“Can you connect me to Steve Cortez?” Shepard asked, a note of anxiety creeping into her voice. She did not know if he had made it when his shuttle went down.

“Certainly, ma’am.”

Shepard breathed a sigh of relief when the pilot’s image appeared on the QEC. “Commander, you made it.”

“Glad I can say the same about you, Cortez. I’ve come too far to lose my shuttle pilot now.” She gave him a smile.

“I apologize for that.” he nodded and shifted his weight from foot to foot. “Things got too hot. Thought maybe I could do another run and head back around… Not one of my finer moments, that’s for sure….”

“What matters is we took out that AA gun,” Shepard reassured him.

“Absolutely. And the Reapers are next,” he nodded enthusiastically.

“That’s the idea,” Shepard said, attempting to mirror that enthusiasm.

He nodded again and glanced off to his right. “It’ll happen. I’m just glad I got to play a part. And Commander… thanks for makin’ me believe again. If you hadn’t… it helps to have a reason to live again.”

“Stay sharp, Cortez.” she said, giving the man an encouraging nod.

“The shuttle’s ready for another run. Just give the word and I’ll be on it, Commander. Cortez out.”

“I have a few more links available, ma’am.” the tech offered.

“I don’t wanna push my luck. We’ve lost too many to be sure of those links.” Shepard declined the offer with a note of sadness. She thought of Samara and wondered exactly how the Justicar had died. Clearly she had or Nana would not be so downtrodden.

“Understood, ma’am.” the tech said and glanced down at his console.

When she stepped out, she spotted Vega at the end of a crumbling ramp leading up to what had become the Command Center. She tapped him on the shoulder and indicated the squad before him with a glance.

“Hey, Commander,” Vega said quietly.

“What, no ‘Lola’?”

He shrugged with a half-laugh. “Yeah, sorry.”

“You ok?” Shepard asked him when he turned completely to face her.

He rubbed one hand over his arm and looked around him at the desolation. “I don’t know what I thought I’d feel comin’ back to Earth. I was ready to fight, ready to die if I had to. But seeing everything like this…”

“We do to the Reapers what they did to us. No mercy… because they sure as hell won’t show us any. Get pissed because that’s what we’re bringing to this fight… all the fury of the galaxy pitted against those bastards. We hurt them worse than they hurt us.” All her ire dripped from what she told him. Every bit of pain and anguish she had felt throughout this war was infused into her words. “But stay focused. We’re not losing this war before we get a chance to throw our first punch.”

“I know, I know. You’re right.” Vega held up his hands briefly. He shrugged before continuing. “I guess this is it, no? One more push… one last fight.”

“Not necessarily our last,” Shepard said, rubbing her aching right shoulder.

Vega stood to attention a moment later and snapped a sharp salute. “It’s been an honor serving with you, Shepard.”

Shepard clasped his forearm. “You’re a good man… and a terrific soldier.”

“Thanks.” was all he said.

“Whatever happens out there today, I know you’ll make me proud,” she said, releasing his arm.

“That means a lot to me, ma’am,” he said, shifting his armor a fraction uncomfortably. “Good luck out there… Lola.”

“You’re an insufferable flirt, Vega.” Shepard snorted a laugh and shook her head at him before turning toward the ramp. Glancing back over her shoulder, she gave him a mischievous smile. “What would Lilfrey think of you flirting with your CO?”

“Uh… I… um... I didn’t…. Damn, Lola. You’re not gonna rat me out, are ya? She’d tear my head off,” Vega stammered.

“I’ll let it slide…. _this_ time, but you better kick some Reaper ass.” Shepard laughed as she headed up the ramp giving him a wave over her shoulder.


	93. A Call to War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nearly everyone seems to be picking up on Shepard's little secret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long chapter ensues. Multiple pov. Enjoy

Eyes locked on the man before him, Garrus laid out a couple of orders. “I want you to coordinate with the Alliance. Make sure we iron out these logistical problems.”

“Yes, sir. The krogan don’t want to share supplies though.” the other turian complained.

Rolling his eyes, he covered his irritation by looking over his assault rifle for about the twentieth time. He tried to inject some humor into his words with a mild laugh, but he was not entirely sure he was succeeding. “That’s just Wrex playing hard to get. Tell him... I’ve got a crate of Denorian beer I’d be happy to barter with. That oughta get his attention.”

“Yes, sir.” the other male said and stepped away.

Garrus heard the crunch of a boot on the ramp and glanced toward it. He spotted Shepard making her way into the room and released a relieved breath. This whole thing was becoming way too much for his nerves to handle. He could deal with tossing around orders, that did not bother him in the least. Not knowing exactly where his mate was in the middle of a warzone, _that_ was nearly enough to give him a heart attack from stress.

Leaning against the shelves beside him, he tried to relax as he watched her step over to Victus. He heard one of his subordinates grumbling about seeing another planet being ripped apart like Palaven. That he could agree with. To him, however, it was a thousand times worse. This was his mate’s homeworld, the planet of her origins. He knew exactly how she felt and he grieved for the lost as much as she did.

Looking at the male sitting at a lopsided table, he rested a hand on top of his rifle. “It’ll be the last one... if I have anything to say about it. This nightmare... finally ends... today.”

“You really think the Reapers can be defeated?” the male was Aptus, he realized after looking closely at his face.

“I _know_ they can. That whole Sovereign business a few years ago… he was the first to die. Now all his friends will too,” Garrus said sharply.

That silenced Aptus. Either he accepted the idea or he simply could not deal with the angry tone. Garrus did not really care as his focus drifted through the room again. He knew eavesdropping was a good way to get his mandibles twisted off, but he could not help himself. His attention returned to his bondmate and her conversation with the Primarch.

“Victus, I didn’t realize you were here,” Shepard was saying as she stepped up to Palaven’s leader.

“I wanted to return the favor in person,” the Primarch said in a rich voice as he shifted from a leaning position and uncrossed his arms. “Though I’m sorry to see your world... looks as bad as ours.”

“I’m surprised you’re not back on Palaven,” she commented as she looked between the man and his councilors.

“This war will be won or lost today – here – on Earth, not Palaven. Everything comes down to this moment. And history will record that the hierarchy stood among the brave,” Victus rumbled meaningfully, obviously hoping there would be some sort of history to actually be recorded.

“How are things back on Palaven?” Shepard asked and Garrus looked down at his feet while listening for that answer.

“Urdnot Wrex was true to his word. The krogan put up a magnificent fight, fearless to the last soldier. They bought us time to evacuate civilians.” Victus glanced in his direction before continuing. “Yet even then, the Reapers were still too much. The only hope for my world now... is victory here on Earth.”

“I’m glad we got this chance to speak. Good to know that you were able to save at least some of your civilian population. You’ll need them when we win this thing,” Shepard said confidently.

“Good luck, Commander.” Victus leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms.

Shepard stepped away from the Primarch and looked around for a moment before she spotted him. As she approached, he pushed himself off the shelves and stood up a little straighter. Somehow this moment had an almost ominous feeling to it. He hoped it was just his imagination as he took a breath and released it.

“Shepard. So, I guess this is…” Garrus began as she stopped before him.

The commander huffed a faint laugh and gave him an even fainter smile, “Just like old times?”

Garrus breathed a laugh and glanced up at a point just above her head for a second as he reigned in his screaming anxiety. He tried, and failed to keep the tremor out of his voice when he finally made eye contact again. “Might be the last chance we get to say that.”

“Y – think we’re gonna lose?” Shepard asked almost breathlessly, as if she could not believe he was even considering that possibility.

“No. I think we’re about to kick the Reapers back into whatever black hole they crawled out of.” he frowned for a second and gave her his honest opinion. “Then… we’re going to retire somewhere... warm and tropical... and live off the royalties from the vids.” he shifted his weight and tilted his head, looking at her sideways for a couple of thunderous heartbeats. A thought struck him and rather than swallow it, he decided to voice it in a smooth tone. “ _Maybe_ … even find out what a turian-human baby _looks_ like.”

Shepard gave him that lopsided smile he had come to love so very much at that. She shifted back on her heels and crossed her arms. “I’m not sure biology is gonna cooperate.”

“You worried daddy’s rifle collection might scare junior?” Garrus chuckled at the idea.

“No, I think he might love it too much… probably get in trouble the second we turn our backs…. But… I’m game… We just have to beat the Reapers first.” Shepard sighed tiredly.

Garrus could not face her as he recalled what James had said earlier. His brow-plates drew down, but the frown was not anger or frustration. It was sadness that swamped him then. His chest felt as if he had somehow already lost her right then and there.

“James told me there’s an old saying here on Earth. ‘May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you’re dead’.” he looked back into her eyes then sighed in resignation. “Not sure if turian heaven is the _same_ as yours, but if this thing goes sideways and we both end up there… meet me at the bar. I’m buying.”

“We’re a team, Garrus. There’s no Shepard without Vakarian, so you better remember how to duck.” Shepard admonished.

“Sorry, turians don’t know how. But I’ll improvise.” Garrus laughed

“I guess there are worse ways to end... Shepard and Vakarian storming heaven.” Shepard sighed regretfully.

“Hmm… maybe some other day.” his mandibles flared at the thought of their possible retirement. “And Shepard… forgive the insubordination, but your _bondmate_ has an _order_ for you…” he dropped his voice to a low growl and stepped in close to her, taking her hands in his. He remembered how it had been when she had died over Alchera. Part of his soul had gone with her. He never wanted to feel that lost and alone again. Never wanted to feel that kind of pain again. He knew what the galaxy was like without her. It was a bleak, dark hole that had tried to swallow him up. “Come back _alive_. It’d be an awfully empty galaxy without you.”

One of her hands got a grip on the rim of his armored cowl and she tugged him down with a determined look on her face. He did not resist, feeling as if this might be their last kiss. He wanted to savor anything she gave him in these moments. When her lips pressed against his mouth-plates, he closed his eyes and kissed her with all the love he could put into a single act.

Shepard broke the kiss, but did not withdraw from his space. The look in her eyes was the same sadness he was feeling. He thought maybe she felt that ominous hammer about to drop on them both. The coming battle was bigger than anything they had ever faced and they both knew it. They both felt the weight of worlds riding on their shoulders.

“No goodbyes, Garrus…” She whispered softly and held onto him as if she never meant to let go. “But if I’m up there in that bar and you’re not… I’ll be lookin’ down. _You’ll never be alone_.”

Garrus followed her every move with his eyes. He heard her voice break before she rested her forehead against his brow-plates. The tsking sound that escaped him as his breath caught in his lungs was not lost on her. He knew she could almost _feel_ the emotional turmoil ripping through him in those precious seconds before she released him. It was a deep resonating rumble he could not silence.

The moment she stepped back, his eyes were still locked to her. He gave a sharp nod and his voice was barely more than a whisper. “Never…”

*

Shepard had to _let him go_. She heard his voice break on that last word, she heard the keen building in his sub-harmonics, but she could not respond to it. Instead, she charged through the door to the left, not knowing exactly where it would lead her. She wiped at her face roughly.

“ _Commander Shepard doesn’t cry!_ ” she reminded herself viciously in a very soft growl. No one heard her through the explosions that rocked the makeshift compound.

“We’ve got hostiles on the parameter!” someone shouted.

She spotted a gun turret and hopped into it hoping to take a few Reaper-spawn out and settle the ache in her chest. Firing on anything that moved down below, she wiped out hordes of husks and other less than savory spawn of the Reapers. It did nothing to ease the heartache. She reminded herself that this was for _him_. Any sacrifice would be worth it… if it meant he might have a chance to live in peace.

The heat sync popped and she looked down on the empty street below realizing she had been firing that gun for an unknown period of time. The second she was sure she had more control of her emotions, a small turian fighter screamed overhead to crash into one of the buildings behind her. The explosion rocked the entire block. She ducked into the door across the walkway with the rest of the gunners and looked back toward the burning wreckage. _This has to end… no matter what it takes. It has to end today_.

*

Liara was taking readings with her omni-tool when the door to her left opened. She glanced up to see Shepard stumble into the room. The commander looked distraught. The asari did not think she had ever seen her look quite so upset in the entire time she had known her.

Glancing at the door, she was certain she knew why. Garrus and the Primarch were in the next building over. From the look on the human’s face, she had a fair idea of what had happened. Shepard must have spoken to her bondmate. They must believe those were their final moments together. She could only imagine what the turian must be feeling at that moment.

Shepard stopped before her and glanced toward the wounded on the carts. She seemed to gain a little control over her emotions and drop that mask of command in place that she always tried to present to the crew. Liara knew her well enough, however, to know when the woman was nearly crippled by her own emotions.

“How are the casualties?” Shepard asked, her voice thick with emotion.

“We lost people. Some of the wounded here won’t make it.” Liara said, closing down her omni-tool as Shepard stopped a few feet from her.

“The Reapers are closing in.” Shepard nodded and locked eyes on her face before asking her next question. “How are things… really?”

“This is _it_ … isn’t it?” the asari asked, finally allowing the magnitude of the situation to sink in.

“Yeah. This is it.” Shepard said, stepping a little closer.

Crossing her arms, Liara could not look at the commander as she tried to get a handle on her own emotions. “I… don’t know what to say. I just know I’ll have a clever line five minutes from now.” she turned and finally faced her friend. Glancing down, she decided now was the only time she might have to make the offer. “I do have one thing for you, Shepard. A gift. It’ll only take a moment, if you want it.”

“What kind of gift?” Shepard asked, sounding more curious than she had thought she would.

Liara gave her a relieved look. She would have done anything to ease the heartache she knew must be tearing the other woman apart. “Do you remember when I first joined my consciousness to yours? I can show you some of my own memories. Asari exchange them sometimes… with their friends, or the people they respect.” Liara smiled and bowed her head for a moment before refining the meaning of her gift to the commander. “It can also be a way to say.. Farewell.”

Shepard seemed to think about that for a couple of minutes. Liara knew the woman was aware that the exchange sometimes went both ways. The commander nodded after another moment. “I’d be honored.”

Liara reached out and took her hands. She had no intention of making Shepard uncomfortable with this. It was meant simply as a gift, nothing more. “Close your eyes.”

Shepard stared at her for a few seconds before she did as the asari asked. Liara embraced the energy within, allowing her eyes to shift into darkness. She drew Shepard in through the contact of their hands. The moment the commander became aware of her surroundings, she opened her eyes. The realm of the mind was a dark place until the light of memories was applied.

Liara drew them toward a memory. She wrapped them in a memory of peaceful beginnings, warm days and companionship. Shepard’s own memory of that day in the cafe on the Presidium intermingled with hers. It re-enforced their bond of friendship. As their consciousness joined in this sharing, Liara touched on something else… another more primitive consciousness. Fresh and new and completely alien to anything she had ever encountered before. Their gentle joining did not last long and eventually they returned to the present and their own separate minds.

“Thank you. For everything.” Liara said softly the moment they became aware of the here and now once more. She locked eyes with the commander then as the realization locked into her mind’s eye. “Does Garrus know?”

“Excuse me?” Shepard, in Liara’s honest opinion, was terrible at playing dumb.

“The baby… Does he know?” Liara elaborated.

All the color drained from the human’s face at the realization that she knew. Her mouth dropped open slightly and her eyes were wide. It lasted seconds only before her expression hardened a little and her eyes narrowed. “No… he doesn’t know… and it needs to stay that way. At least until we end this damn war. Then… I’ll gladly scream it from the top of the Presidium to the whole damn galaxy.”

“Shepard, you should tell him. He deserves to know. He _needs_ to know.” Liara protested and grabbed the woman’s wrist before she could walk away.

“You know what’s at stake here, Liara. If we don’t stop the Reapers… his baby will never be safe. It might not even have the chance to be born.” Shepard growled softly at her and gripped her hand. “ _He. Can’t. Know_. He’d only try to stop me from doing what needs done.”

Liara was at a loss at that particular moment. On one hand, she understood exactly where Shepard was coming from. The Reapers would kill them all if they were not stopped. On the other, the commander’s bondmate had a right to know he had fathered a child. She could not imagine what that child might end up looking like. Given turian and human appearances, she was almost afraid to consider the possibilities.

“I need you to promise me you won’t tell him… not yet. You _can’t_ tell him if I don’t... “ Shepard paused for a moment, nearly choking on the words as she struggled to get them out. “If I don’t make it… he can’t know there was ever a baby. It would _destroy_ him.”

Liara considered her options and realized she honestly did not have many. Her dearest friend had never asked her to conceal the truth from anyone, but that was exactly what she was doing now. She could not say the idea was sitting well.

“You’re telling him as soon as we beat the Reapers?” Liara asked, feeling the weight of the idea bearing down on her like an entire planet.

“I promise,” Shepard said simply.

“Then let’s do what needs to be done, Shepard.” Liara let out a half grumble of frustration. The very idea of keeping such a secret grated against her core nature, but Shepard needed to believe she would hold her peace. Her eyes narrowed as she watched the commander leave the room.

The moment the woman was out of sight, she composed a brief message. She encrypted it before sending it to the turian’s omni-tool. Shepard had asked _her_ to keep the secret, but she had said nothing about the Shadow Broker keeping it.

*

“When the rachni laid waste to the galaxy two thousand years ago -- when all seemed lost and the end was near -- one word delivered the killer blow!” Wrex told the story in a loud, booming voice to bolster his troops morale. One word beat the monsters back to the abyss, and one word brought death to an enemy none dared fight! That word was ‘ _krogan’!_ ” Wrex bellowed and glared down at his troops. Each of them had their eyes locked to him as he paced along the top of the mound. “And today the krogan rise again! Today we forge a new path and join the galaxy as allies in victory! Today… we win our future!”

The moment the krogan spotted the small human female marching up the rubble toward him, he glared back at his troops and pointed. “This isn’t salarian boot camp! Suck it up, princesses! I wanna be prepped and ready in five! Get to it!”

Shepard stopped barely a foot from him and he looked down at her. He sampled the air around her, pressing his tongue to the scent glands in the roof of his mouth. Rolling it around, tasting it for a moment, his eyes narrowed on her. “You’re gonna tell the kid, right?”

“Not you too.” Shepard groaned and put a hand on her hip.

“Hey, _you_ did it. I’ve heard enough howls and growls through the Normandy’s hull to last me _ten_ lifetimes, thank you.” Wrex grumbled, eyeing her thoughtfully. “Besides screwin’ the turian’s brains out... You managed to do what no one else could -- you united a galaxy. That’s a victory right there. And don’t worry. I know why you’re gonna win -- because you brought the krogan. Oh… and Bakara sends her regards. There are benefits to being a clan leader, she’s already pregnant. Guess that means you two are gonna be sharing girly chat.” the krogan looked up toward the sky then. “Please eat me, Kalros.”

“I’m sure it won’t be that bad, Wrex.” Shepard sighed and shook her head.

“It’s worse than you think… all those hormones… and the ice. At least Garrus had fun with you. There’s nothin’ fun about a whole line of women screamin’ for a piece of you.” Wrex grumbled and let out a shuddering breath. He bent down just a little and locked one red eye on her close enough to see the pores on her face. “So… he’s not bouncing around here like he’s got a spring up his ass. Guess that means he doesn’t know yet.”

“And you’re not telling him, Wrex. Is that clear?” Shepard growled at him, her eyes flashing angrily.

“Yeah, whatever. If he had any sense…. Or any sense of _smell_ … he’d have already figured it out by now. Must not know what a pregnant human smells like… poor kid.” Wrex blinked and then laughed. “I don’t envy him _that_ hormonal roller coaster. Worse than a krogan… and I’m hopping off Earth the second you start hosin’ the planet down with them.”

“What is it with you and the rest of the galaxy… and that damn sense of smell? Do humans really smell that awful?” Shepard barked.

“Ya smell like a flower, Shepard… and maybe a little dirt… with some gun grease tossed in.” Wrex could not quite explain exactly what humans smelled like. He had no reference for the kinds of smells that rolled off some of them. Shepard always smelled good… almost like guns and food.

A moment later, his stomach let out a loud rumble and he sighed in frustration. Turning his attention back to his troops, he bellowed out at them. “Somebody go see if the quarians have anything to eat! All that turian food gave me the runs.”

“Really, Wrex?” Shepard asked in exasperation.

“What? I’m hungry… and I got the shits… It’s all comin’ back out anyway.” he rumbled a laugh at the look on her face. “Meant to tell ya, Earth reminds me of home. Guess you’ll be needing a new planet too. Don’t worry, Tuchanka has room to spare and a guard dog named Kalros.” he gave her another rumbling laugh at that before nodding with a sigh. “We’re ready, Shepard. Just say the word.”

Shepard nodded and then held a finger up. “Not a word to Garrus.”

Wrex just glared at her, one red eye locked on her as she walked back down that ramp. He snorted and shook his head. “He’ll figure it out sooner or later.”

*

Javik stood staring out the large broken window at the swirling beam in the distance. He caught her scent before he heard her. “Commander.”

“Was it this bad in your time?” she asked simply.

“Worse.” he barely glanced over his shoulder toward her. “I have been listening to the krogan speak to his men. In our cycle, the races never came together. There was no rallying cry.” he paused and thought about that for a second. That was, perhaps, the downfall of his cycle. “I envy you.”

“Really? There’s not much left out there.” Shepard said, crossing her arms.

“The future is still out there. It’s something my people could _never_ say; there _will_ be a tomorrow.” Javik elaborated.

“Only if we win today,” Shepard said, sounding sad somehow.

“No one else has ever made it this far,” he said simply.

“We haven’t won until we’ve crossed the finish line,” Shepard said, her voice sounding cold.

“In my cycle, we never even saw the ‘finish line’. But yours is out there -- the end is in sight.” he turned to face her then, really taking in her appearance for the first time. “You would become the avatar of this cycle. The exemplar of victory. Not just for humanity, or turians, or Protheans – but for all life. Every soul that has ever existed is watching this moment. Even the one you carry within.”

“Well, no pressure when you put it that way.” Shepard sighed.

“Do not waver. Victory is never won without difficult choices.” Javik said and glanced downward. He had thought she might understand the meaning of his earlier statement. Clearly she had not.

“I know. I’ve had to make a lot of those.” the commander said quietly.

“There may be more. But I know you will see this through for all of us -- no matter the cost.” Stepping away from the window, he met her eyes again. He offered his hand, according to this cycle’s custom, and she grasped it. His senses flared with the presence then. Strong, intelligent, and curious. He had not realized it would be aware so soon. The commander’s scent had barely begun to change over the last weeks. “You must take great care, Commander. You carry the future.”

“If we actually pull this off, what will you do afterwards?” Shepard asked as she released his hand. She was still oblivious to the subtleness of his statements.

“Since my birth, life’s only pursuit has been war. I look forward to seeing what peace looks like.” Javik was honest in this statement. Peace was a curiosity he had never known.

“It’s a big galaxy.” Shepard nodded.

“Perhaps I will write a book with the asar…” he stopped himself. The blue woman had yelled at him more than once about disrespectfully referring to her by her species. “With Dr. T’Soni. She suggests ‘Journeys with the Prothean’.”

“You’d do that?” Shepard asked, more curious than he had thought she might be.

“I will need a job. There will be no Reapers left to kill.” he nodded and leaned back against the window frame. “Thank you, Commander, for letting the last voice of the Protheans speak. It has been a privilege.”

Shepard returned his nod of respect and turned on her heel, completely unaware that he knew the secret she carried. He knew she was not stupid, however. There was a good chance she had simply ignored the subtlety of his comments. He meant to find out before the teams rolled out toward that distant beam. _Surely the turian knows. He must have caught the scent. Perhaps he’d be willing to discuss how it is possible that his mate carries such a hybrid_.


	94. Tactical Planning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard and Anderson go over plans, staging the attack to retake London.

Shepard nodded at the krogan as she passed him on the earthen ramp again. He gave her a knowing look she simply tried to ignore. She could not do what both he and Liara wanted. Telling Garrus now could cost them this one chance they had to win the war. She was not willing to sacrifice an entire galaxy for one life, no matter how precious it might be.

“What about this zone? We could circle around and flood it with reinforcements.” Anderson was saying as she entered the room.

“Not likely.” Coats sighed heavily. “I spent _three_ days in that sector. Trapped inside Big Ben, sniping anything that moved. It’s a bloody death trap.”

“Name me one place in this city that isn’t.” Anderson snapped in frustration.

“I dunno, Admiral. Our Thanix missiles pack a punch, but that’s against conventional targets. A _Reaper_ is a whole other matter.” Coats shook his head with a sigh.

“We have to make do with what we’ve got, Major. Get their crews prepped and moving.” the admiral ordered sternly.

“Yes, sir.” Coats said before stepping away. He did not go far, just to the end of the table, tapping keys on his data pad. “Thanix crews report ready for action, sir. Target packages have been uploaded. Warhead payloads confirmed.”

“What’s the armor like on those things?” Anderson asked brusquely.

“Not good enough.” Coats grumbled as he pulled up a schematic of one of the tanks on his pad. “Small arms fire isn’t a problem, but anything bigger than that… the crews are vulnerable, Admiral.”

“Understood.” Anderson sighed and leaned on his hands, looking down at the holo-map of the city spread out across the table.

Shepard spotted Tali near the shattered windows and headed her way. She thought maybe the quarian would not be so quick to notice her growing problem. After all, the woman was locked inside the suit.

“Almost time for the final push. Are you ok?” Tali asked in concern.

“I thought I’d be asking _you_ that question.” Shepard tilted her head and searched the face behind the mask. This woman before her had grown so much in the last few years.

Tali cocked her head to the side and gave her an almost amused look. “Shepard, I’ve backed you since the beginning… from my pilgrimage to Cerberus and beyond. What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t back you now? And you still haven’t answered my question. _Are you ok?_ ”

Sighing, Shepard shook her head and led the quarian to the shattered window to look out at the ruined world around them. “Remember how you felt when you landed on Rannoch? Now imagine it’s not a story passed down by your people. Imagine you were just there a few months ago.”

“And now you’re seeing it like this.” Tali nodded and joined her at that window.

Shepard nodded and turned to look out at the rubble that had once been a prosperous city. Her voice was subdued when she finally spoke again. “We need to put it right.”

“We will.” Tali said firmly. “Whatever happens, I’m proud to have served with you… Captain.”

“It’s been an honor, Tali’Zora vas Normandy.” When Tali saluted her, she snapped to attention herself and returned it. A moment later, she crossed her arms and huffed a faint laugh. “Not lookin’ for a transfer, are you?”

Tali smiled behind her mask and tilted her head. “I was hoping for a _promotion_. I am an admiral now.”

“I did get you a homeworld.” Shepard snorted.

“You did, didn’t you?” Tali stood a little prouder than and nodded. “It’s time I returned the favor.”

“Shepard. I have a question.” EDI said from behind then.

The commander excused herself and stepped over to the synthetic woman. “Is it a big or small one?”

“It is important. It’s relevance would be diminished at any other time.” EDI said, almost sounding uncomfortable.

“Ask away.” Shepard said without hesitation.

“In this battle the Reapers have no reason not to use their full capabilities to destroy us. Their forces are in entrenched positions. They have superior firepower and outnumber our forces. My question is; what makes you think we can reach the conduit at all?”

Shepard simply stared at her for a moment. She knew the question was logistical, coming from a machine. But this woman had proven she was more than the sum of her parts. Finally, she realized there was only one answer she could give her.

“The Reapers underestimate us at every turn.” Shepard said confidently and glanced out the window at the beam in the distance. “And they’ve done it again. True, they have the Citadel and they think they’ve won. This is the best time to hit them.”

“If they have spies or other intelligence, we could lose the element of surprise. In such a case, we will likely lose.” EDI seemed confused or perhaps scared.

Shepard eyed her thoughtfully then and asked her next question on a quiet breath. “Are you afraid?”

“Our probability for success is greater than any other plan presented to date.” EDI hedged.

“That’s not what I asked.” the commander shook her head and met the other woman’s eyes and repeated the question. “Are you afraid?”

“I don’t… understand the purpose… of the question.” EDI was clearly struggling to avoid answering it.

“There’s no more room for doubt anymore, EDI. You understand what we have to do, or you don’t.” Shepard said firmly. She knew that if the AI was becoming emotionally aware, she might well become a liability in the field. It meant she would have to choose her team very carefully.

“I am clear on what we must accomplish, Shepard. The Reapers have destroyed thousands of civilizations.” EDI glanced toward the beam in the distance then and her eyes narrowed. Her voice took on an edge when she spoke again. “But they have never destroyed ours. _Nor will they_.”

“Couldn’t put it better myself. It’s almost time to move out.” Shepard gave her a small smile and patted her on the shoulder before stepping over to the table Anderson was pouring over.

Stopping on the other side of the table, she cleared her throat and drew the man’s attention. Anderson glanced up at her from his planning with a nod. “Commander.”

“Admiral.” her reply was crisp.

“Just going over the sitrep.” he grumbled quietly more to himself than her, his eyes focused on the holo-map before him.

“How’s it look?” Shepard asked, looking down at that display herself.

“It’s not good. Barely 50 percent of Hammer has reported in.” he touched the map and adjusted the feed to display those troops that were currently accounted for.

Shepard covered her mouth with her hand as she crossed her arms. “Can we count on more making it?”

Anderson glanced at Coats and the major gave him a single shake of the head. The admiral released a weary breath and looked back up at her. “We’ve got a few stragglers still en route, but… those that are here… they’re what we’ve got.” he pushed himself off the table in frustration. “We’re as ready as we’re likely to get.”

Shepard frowned at him and realized he was terrified. She had never known him to be afraid of anything and that rattled her. Leaning on that table she threw all the authority she could into her tone. “Every minute wasted here, the Reapers gather strength.”

“Exactly my thoughts.” Anderson blew out a breath and nodded. He tapped the comm implant near his ear and turned to face that beam that seemed to grab and hold everyone’s attention. “Battalion leaders, report to HQ.”

Shepard paced, watched and waited for those leaders to arrive. What took only minutes seemed to take hours as they began to file in. it was almost as if time had decided to take a breather and stand still. It frustrated her to no end, but she waited them out.

Anderson was taking a headcount the moment the last man made his way to the table. His face paled at the number that had actually managed to show up. There were only a handful of them. When it became apparent that there were no more coming, the admiral looked around at them all.

Shepard stopped pacing and stepped to the table across from him the moment he tapped the map between them. He brought up a holo-image of the Citadel’s beam between three tall columns.

Glancing up at her with a nod, he pointed at that beam before leaning on the table. “We’ve fought hard to get here. But now the toughest part of our mission begins. We’ve got to drive right through the heart of Reaper controlled territory, break past their defenses, and get to that beam.”

Shepard looked up from the table and met his eyes. She knew he saw the concerned look on her face, but now was not the time to worry rather her mask of command was fooling anybody or not. “What kind of defenses are we talking about?”

Anderson swiped the map, scrolling it several city blocks beyond the beam. “The entire area’s crawlin’ with Reaper forces. But our biggest concern is the destroyer protecting the beam itself.”

Shepard maintained her calm, suppressing any reaction when the thing popped up on the table. Even painted target red, it reminded her of the Reaper they had defeated on Rannoch. _Means this bastard is as big as a building…_ She shuddered at the thought of facing another one on foot. That last one had given her more than a couple close calls.

“Can we bring in air support to deal with it?” Coats asked as he leaned in to get a closer look at the surrounding area on the map.

“Negative.” Anderson blew out a breath and shook his head, pointing at the parameter nearly a block in every direction around the thing. “There’s some kind of interference that extends around it. We’ll have to take it out from the ground.” he swiped the map again and scrolled it even further out toward their location. “Now they’ve cut a swath, a no-man’s land, straight through the city. We’ll have to cross that first. There’ll be some limited shelter on the other side, but _expect_ _heavy_ resistance. We pass this area and the Reapers will know something’s up.”

“So we need to get close enough to take that thing out?” Shepard breathed as she watched him scroll the map back in toward the destroyer. “How closer?”

“Line of sight.” he said simply as he met her eyes.

“ _Damn_.” she let out a sigh of resignation. “This is gonna be rough.”

“Nothing’s ever easy, kid.” Anderson agreed. He pointed at a location on the map that might have been equal to three blocks, barely 1200 yards. “We need to get our tanks to this position. If we get close enough, we’ve got a shot at taking that thing out.”

“How much of a shot?” Coats beat her to the punch with that question.

“A one-way shot…” Anderson answered, looking the man straight in the eyes. He glanced around at the rest of them then. “Some of us aren’t coming back. There can be no retreat, no surrender… and no mercy. We move forward at all costs. Understood?”

Everyone in the room hooted at the sharpness of his last word. It felt like a rallying cry to Shepard and she snapped a sharp salute. “Yes, sir!”

“Johnson, Coats… you two will coordinate the artillery units.” the moment the two men saluted and took off, Anderson stepped around the table toward her. “Shepard, I’m sending you right up the gut where the resistance is heaviest. Support the tanks the best you can, but stay alive. I need you for the final push to the beam. I’ll give you a minute with your squad. Pick your team well.”


	95. Race to the Base

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once the shuttle was tucked into that collapsing building, they had very little time before the Reaper forces swamped them. Now it's a race to the base camp they've spotted in the distance.

A few minutes, maybe half an hour. That was all the advance warning they had. Those distant sounds of fighting, the screams of Reaper-spawn, and the clash of armor against armor had all but swamped the shuttle now. Nihlus glanced up at the shuttle’s ceiling as it shook and rocked under the weight of the creatures crawling over the outside.

“We’re out of time.” the turian grumbled and headed for the cockpit to glance out the viewport. He barely noticed the asari stopping at his side to look out as well.

“Fire off a short burst from the thrusters, blow these bastard’s off us and we can make a run for it,” Natearus suggested as she stepped past him to take up her previous position in the co-pilot’s seat.

“Are you out of your mind, asari? We’ll bring the rest of the building down around us.” Nihlus snapped at her, his eyes focusing on her determined expression.

“If you’ve got a better idea, boy… then let’s hear it? I don’t much care feeling like canned kibble waitin’ for those to crack us open and eat us,” Natearus snapped, giving him a hard look.

Nihlus thought about their options for a moment as his focus returned to the viewport and the horde of husks outside. They were everywhere, slamming themselves into the shuttle’s hull randomly. He knew they were testing the strength of the obstacle between them.

Finally, he let out a resigned sigh and snarled softly before taking up the pilot’s seat. “ _Dammit_ …. I see no other options.”

“Good. now… if you’re done chewin’ on the problem, fire the thrusters,” Natearus snapped at him.

Glaring at her, he realized he was growing tired of her snapping. He supposed it was better than her previous insistence and attempts to eliminate herself. If he were being honest with himself, he would rather see something closer to a middle ground with her. Somehow, he suspected that was not likely to happen.

Hands dancing across the console, Nihlus overrode the safety locks and fired the atmospheric thrusters a couple of times. The flames charred the husks in the general vicinity of the shuttle. He threw himself out of the seat a heartbeat later.

“We have a window. Let’s go!” the Spectre snapped at the others, heading for the hatch. He stood to the side and waited for the others to step out.

Castis stopped beside him and motioned for him to go ahead. “It’s better if I bring up the rear. I do have the sniper rifle, after all.”

His one remaining brow-plate lowered in a frown at the other male and he shook his head. “I need to be sure the four of you make it out before reinforcements arrive.”

“You leave that to me. I’m trained for this kind of thing.” Castis said and patted him on the shoulder. “Clear us a path and I’ll do the rest.”

Nihlus glared at him and pointed a finger at him. “If you die out here, old man…”

Castis cut him off with a laugh. “I’m not dying today. Get your ass moving. _Prove_ to me I’m wrong about Spectres.”

“Fine…” Nihlus growled and hopped down out of the shuttle without another word. He glanced between Natearus and Solana for a moment and noticed the infant was securely strapped to the asari’s back. She seemed content, babbling to herself.

Glancing back at the elder Vakarian, he nodded just once and moved ahead of the others. He moved faster on his own, that was what he had always said. This might well prove, even to him, that he did not necessarily work better on his own.

“Don’t just stand there gawking, boy. Move your plated ass!” Natearus barked at him as she adjusted her shotgun against her hip.

“My ass is _not_ plated!” he snapped back as he jogged on ahead of them.

Tapping a couple of the recessed buttons near his cybernetic eye, he brought up the thermal tracking system the new gadget had come with. To his left, a short distance away, he spotted the heat signatures of more Reaper-spawn heading their way. To the right was a much larger heat signature. Unless he missed his guess, that looked to be a camp a few clicks away. They might reach it in an hour or two, provided the horde behind them did not overrun them.

Looking back at the others, he pointed at his eyes and then to the right. Yelling instructions between them would just draw the Reap-spawn that much faster. Silent movement, or as silent as four adults and an infant could be. That was the key to reaching the relative safety of the presumed camp.

*

Nana recognized the hand signals from the turian more than twenty feet ahead. She glanced at Solana before looking behind to see where the girl’s father had gone. A slow smile spread across her face when she did not see him. Like a wraith, he had simply disappeared somewhere among the ruins at their backs. She began to see where the commander’s mate had acquired his skill.

Glancing back at the turian woman beside her she nodded. “Follow tall, dark, and spiky. That red spotlight in his mechanical eye must be giving him a path to follow.”

“I just hope it’s the right one,” Solana muttered darkly, her eyes roving over the male ahead of them.

“Not the time, girl,” Nana grumbled and stepped into a lite jog to maintain a line of sight on Nihlus. She barely heard Solana follow suit.

Nana heard them long before she ever saw them. The screams of husks tearing after them as they rounded the corner out of the building snapped her attention to their left. She wondered if the Spectre had seen both hordes in his search of the landscape. As they put one behind them, her eyes focused on the one rushing at them from across the field of rubble.

The first husk to leap over the twisted wrought iron fence to her left went down before it ever managed to touch the ground near her. She saw the smoking hole between its eyes and nodded in approval. Another went down much the same as the first, a hole blooming just above it’s right eye.

Nana huffed a faint laugh at the accuracy. _Not nearly as good as your boy, eh, Castis?_ She meant to taunt him about that if they made it out of this mess alive. The laughter died in her throat the second she saw the sheer numbers of the horde merging around them.

“Trouble breeds more trouble, kids!” Nana yelled to the others as she threw up a biotic barrier around herself and Solana. “Give ‘em hell, girl!”

*

Solana activated her drone and sent it out past the barrier. She knew Tear would not be able to offer assistance so long as she maintained that barrier. Protecting the baby was her number one priority and the turian knew it. Most of her own skills were based in mechanics. She worried for a moment that she might be ineffective against the Reaper horde until she saw a husk up close and personal.

When the mutated menace bounced off Tear’s barrier, she saw all the circuitry embedded in its flesh. _Overload will work just fine against these things_ , she thought in satisfaction. Opening her omni-tool, she sent the electrical arc out at those closest to the biotic barrier. She was rewarded with several of them thrashing and jerking about before they fell to the ground. That, she knew, would not keep them down long. Without a second’s hesitation, she triggered the tiny flamethrower built into her omni-tool to incinerate them. Some of them simply burned to a crisp, others managed to regain their feet to run toward them. Those she blew away with her shotgun.

Solana did not know exactly where her father was, but she knew he was close. The husks she missed, he took down with clean shots that whizzed past overhead. She watched Nihlus take down a good many of those that had circled around his position with both his pistol and omni-blade. The male was an excellent shot and he wielded an omni-blade as well as her brother. When that blade snapped off, he drew his combat knife and carried his attacks through.

*

Nihlus was taking down husks right and left. When his omni-blade finally snapped, he resorted to his combat knife then. He heard the husks behind him but was unable to do anything about them. When Solana charged in, omni-blade and combat knife cutting the husks behind him to ribbons, his eyes widened. She was flexible and graceful in her dance with death. The girl’s movements very nearly distracted him enough for a husk to attempt to rip out his throat. The shot that took the creature down, before its hands could tear into his throat, came from somewhere off to his right. He knew the shot had come from Castis as he spotted him up on the crumbling wall of the slanting building they had sheltered in.

The turian noticed Natearus had dropped her barrier in favor of tossing out biotic attacks. He realized she must have done that the moment Solana darted toward him. Twisting around to ram his combat knife through a husk’s throat, he ripped it out with a grunt. The husk staggered and dropped to its knees at Solana’s feet the moment she turned with a gasp. The girl was staring at him in wide-eyed shock even as the creature fell over.

“That’s the last! _Let’s go!_ Make googly eyes at each other later, when we’re a little _safer!_ ” Natearus barked at them as she jogged by.

“She’s right. We need to go… now.” Sheathing his combat knife, he grabbed the girl by the wrist. A jolt like electricity raced up his arm at the contact and his heart skipped a beat only to slam into his keel with the next. He released her with a thoughtful frown then.

Solana’s eyes had grown wider at the sensation. He was certain she must have felt it as well then. She shook her hand ever so slightly and nodded. The idea that had come to him began to solidify as he turned and jogged on ahead. There were tales in every culture of couples destined to be together. His organic eye narrowed at the thought, but he continued moving, scanning for movement between them and that base.

The Vakarian girl spotted them before he did and called out a warning. Nihlus drew his pistol and combat knife at the same time. He was ready to slash at the Reaper-spawn ahead of them. Solana ran past him and darted ahead, between him and the Cannibal. Before it could fire at him, she rushed it, letting out a yell as her omni-blade sliced through its gun arm, severing the elbow cleanly at the joint. The girl twisted and slashed her combat knife through its gaping maw, sending the smaller head on its right shoulder sailing off toward the ground. Her blade struck bone and wedged tight. She planted her foot in its gut and wrenched it out as the Cannibal sank to the ground.

“ _Very_ impressive.” he purred as he passed her and resumed their course toward that camp. He was certain it was a camp now as he could see the outline of a Mako.

*

Nana watched the pair with a knowing smile she was trying desperately to hide. She could almost see the sparks crackling between them. That smile faded as she thought of Samara. It had been like that between them once as well. In their case, however, they had been meant to be together and destined to be apart. It had served them both well enough so long as there was time to reconcile their difference. Now… that time was past and she knew it.

Pushing her remorse aside, the asari glanced toward the crumbling buildings on her right. She spotted Castis making his way along what had become their roofs as they had fallen toward the ground. _If I was younger… and your mate not so recently passed_ … She pushed that thought away as well. There was no room left in her for such flights of fancy. She had no illusions about the battle to come. Many of them would not make it out the other side. _I’ll be seeing you soon enough, Sam_. that thought stayed with her as they finally reached the parameter of that base.


	96. An Unexpected Shift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In true turian form, Nihlus and Solana are eyeing each other carefully. Things take an unexpected turn not long after they reach the temporary base set up by the asari commandos.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mature Readers beyond this point. If you are not interested in reading sexual content, feel free to skip this chapter.

Making their way into camp was easy enough. The asari Commandos had been waiting for Samara to take up command of them. With the news of the Justicar’s death, they now looked to Natearus for that leadership.

Nihlus supposed it was only fitting that they turned to her. She was possibly the only Justicar left in the galaxy. Nodding to the asari, he left her to rally the troops she had somehow inherited. He made his way to the Vakarians, eyes skimming over them approvingly. They took seats around a workbench in one of the temporary shelters. Resourceful was a term he felt easily applied to the two of them. They had proven they could handle themselves when the Reaper forces poured in on their location. 

Castis, he knew in passing and by reputation. Retired C-Sec detective with a hard-as-nails attitude. The male had proven beyond a doubt that he could handle the sniper rifle now in his possession. If not for his sure aim, Nihlus was fairly certain they would not have made it to this base. If the male had trained his son as well as it seemed, there was no one better suited to stand at Commander Shepard’s side through this war. He sincerely hoped she knew just who this male’s son truly was.

Solana had proven to be a force to be reckoned with, not only in her handling of that shotgun but with her tech skills in general... She was just beginning to strip the weapon down for cleaning when he stopped before her, hands clasped behind his back. The drone she had deployed was much more useful than he had expected it to be. He found her fascinating in an unusual way. That shock he had experienced when he touched her, it had him more than a little intrigued.

“You’re an engineer then.” It was not a question exactly- Nihlus had a fair grasp of her skill set.

“That’s right,” she answered, briefly glancing up at him with those startling blue eyes. 

Nihlus did not see the revulsion there he had seen from so many others since Saren had disfigured his face. True the cybernetic eye and all the hardware around it was relatively new and disturbing to most, but she seemed indifferent to it. _At least_ , he thought, _it’s no longer an eye patch and ruined plates_.

Lingering for a moment longer, he turned and started to step away when she murmured softly. “Thank you… for the help with Natearus. I didn’t expect a Spectre to care enough to intervene.”

Nihlus turned back with a nod, eyes leveling on her as she reassembled the shotgun. “Contrary to popular belief, we’re not all heartless hunters. In any case, now is not the time for such behavior. Too many lives depend on what we do here and now… in the next few hours. I would rather be remembered as a turian of honor.”

“A noble idea, but I doubt anyone will care _how_ you kill the Reaper-spawn… so long as you _kill_ them,” Solana said as she snapped the shotgun closed.

“The Reapers haven’t a clue about honor or integrity, but _we_ do. I’d rather prove to my allies that they can _trust_ me to do the right thing.” Nihlus grumbled in slight irritation. He was beginning to wonder why he had engaged the girl in conversation in the first place. “If you’ll excuse me…”

*

Solana simply nodded and watched him go. She had not meant to drive him off. Her father would have her believe that all Spectres were criminals, working outside the law to accomplish their goals. She knew that was not entirely true after spending some time aboard the Normandy. Shepard was not the lawless huntress her father might otherwise believe her to be. The turian wondered what sort of Spectre Nihlus Kryik had been before the Reapers had come. She suspected he might have been a lawful one given his talk of honor and integrity. _And you just chased him off by belittling those qualities. Way to go, Sol_. She knew why she had done it. It had become an ingrained defensive mechanism. She pushed the males she found interesting away because she was afraid of producing biotic children. That eezo accident still haunted her dreams of home and family.

“He looks stressed, Sol… and so do you,” Castis said quietly at her side as he finished reassembling his sniper rifle.

“He’s a Spectre. You _hate_ Spectres, dad.” Solana said softly and glanced at him trying to read the neutral expression on his face.

“I… can’t afford to _hate_ anyone anymore. Not in _this_ war.” her father sighed and tilted his head to the side before shaking it. “There are _so very_ few of us left… Spar with him. I think you both could use the distraction.”

Solana smiled, a slight flaring of her mandibles as she put a hand on his shoulder. There was an almost pleading look in her father’s eyes and she nodded in understanding. Her father might not necessarily be encouraging her to mate with the Spectre, but at least he was not discouraging a little stress relief. The order to move out had not yet come down the line.

Setting the shotgun aside, she got to her feet and headed in the direction the Spectre had gone. He had not gone far at all, just to the other side of the Mako. he stood staring off across the ruins, one arm crossed over his chest supporting the elbow of the other. With the other hand, he absently rubbed at the hardware that had replaced the short spines of his fringe across his left temple. The tense lines of his body told her everything she needed to know. Her father was right, the male was stressed.

“Spectre Kryik…” she said tentatively.

He turned his head, cybernetic eye locking on her and whirring softly as it focused. If it was possible, he seemed to tense up even more at her appearance. He looked her over, clearly feigning disinterest as he returned to his contemplation of the coming battlefield.

“Was there something you needed?” he asked blandly.

“Spar with me, Spectre,” she said simply.

That drew a snort from him and he turned back to face her. “I doubt you could keep up.”

“Try me.” Solana snapped, growing tired of this game he was playing as she took up a sparring stance.

“You _can’t_ be serious,” he rumbled irritably. His sub-harmonics said simply; go away.

“You’re stressed. The unknown is making you bitter, snappy. We both know that’s not how we win this thing. Stress makes you reckless, Spectre.” Solana growled at him as she began to circle him.

“I don’t think I like where this is going…” Nihlus growled and finally took up a defensive position.

“ _Good_ ,” Solana snapped and rushed him, throwing a punch at his face.

Kryik easily sidestepped and blocked the punch. He grunted as her forearm slammed against his. She spun and elbowed him to the right of his keel. This was not meant to be a lethal match, after all. He let out a vicious sounding snarl, gripped her cowl, and attempted to sweep her legs out from under her. Sol managed to take a single step back and catch her balance before delivering a knee to the lower curve of his hip crest. The Spectre yelped and released his grip on her. She twisted away, bouncing back a few feet.

“Impressive…” Nihlus rumbled and watched her for a moment.

“You’re not bad yourself.” Sol purred, giving him just a hint of where this might lead in her sub-harmonics.

After circling each other a couple more times, Nihlus lunged at her. She was not as prepared for his attack as she should have been. He caught her off guard, slamming an elbow into her right shoulder while grabbing her left and jerking it toward him. The moment her armor slammed against his, he pushed her away hard enough to stagger her. She barely managed to maintain her balance.

“Underhanded..” she growled, whirling around to face him again.

“Effective.” he purred, clearly enjoying the match now.

Sol grunted and waited for an opening to present itself. When it finally did, she bounced forward with a thrust to his face. He deflected that and missed the fist to his side. His mandibles dropped slightly in a snarl of irritation as he continued to block her punches.

“You’re slipping, Spectre.” Solana purred, mandibles flaring in a smile. "I'd have thought those advanced combat skills would be better."

Nihlus took a hit to the face and hooked his fingers into the rim of her cowl. He managed to sweep her legs out from under her this time. It was not a graceful move, but the look in his organic eye said he was done playing games. They both hit the ground hard with him straddling her, pinning her hands to the ground.

Solana glared up at him and tried to break his iron grip. He held her firmly in place. His face was mere inches from hers. He was growling, his breath coming in short bursts as his sub-harmonics rumbled out of control.

“ _Nihlus_ …” he snarled softly at her. “ _Not Spectre_ … I am merely Nihlus now.”

“Nihlus…” she repeated in the barest of whispers, willing him to hear the faint rumble of lust in her sub-harmonics.

*

“What are you _really_ here for, Vakarian?” Nihlus breathed, taking note of the scent of arousal rolling off her. He clearly heard the rumbles of desire rolling through her sub-harmonics and chose to ignore them for the moment.

“Stress relief… and the name is Sol,” she growled at him, forcing her way up a fraction under his weight.

“And you think _I_ can help you with that?” he allowed his voice to dip into a purr, his sub-harmonics rumbling through them both at the points of contact. He allowed one hand to stray to her side while the other remained clamped around her wrists.

“ _Yes_.” She snarled and tried to wiggle free.

“Did that decision come from a _lack_ of options… or are you _genuinely_ interested?” he realized he needed that answer. There had been plenty of sparring matches over the last three years, but nothing more. He had almost forgotten what it was like to relieve stress in any other way.

Sol seemed taken aback for a moment as she glared up at him. Her expression softened and she relaxed in his grip with a deep breath. “My options aren’t as limited as you think. I could have gone to any one of the asari Commandos here. _Someone_ would have taken my offer.”

“Then why choose me?” Nihlus asked honestly, shifting to a kneeling position over her as he released her hands.

“Because you need this as much as I do,” she growled softly as she pushed herself up on her elbows. “ _And_ … if this is our last night alive, I’d like to spend a few minutes of it with someone I _know_ I can trust.”

Nihlus let out a shuddering breath at that. The hand on her waist was much more sure now. He brought the other hand up to the tip of her left mandible and traced it from front to back before cupping the back of her head.

*

Solana reached for the clasps over his hip crests and nearly tore them apart trying to release the lower section of his armor. Her mandibles flared in a brief smile as her hands ran over his groin to find his undersuit already damp. He groaned when she gripped his waist and squeezed, digging her talons gently into the unplated muscles there.

Before she could release the seals of his suit, he had already stripped her lower armor away and ran a talon up her slowly parting seam. She shivered as her plates spread, revealing her readiness for him.

The moment she released his suit, his plates spread a little wider. He moaned, shuddering and growling faintly at the pad of her finger running along the edges, encouraging them to release him. The sensations she invoked throughout his nervous system left him shuddering when his plates finally released the object of her desire. She gently squeezed him, making him gasp in anticipation.

When she hooked one leg over his hip crest, locking him in position with her leg spur, he watched her for a few seconds. No one had shown enough interest in him over the last few years to even consider ‘blowing off steam’. Not since his eye had been blown out of his head, at least. It was a shock to realize that this girl did not care what he looked like. She seemed genuinely interested in who he was beneath it all.

“You’re certain?” he growled in a deep lusty breath, attempting to resist her pull. That jolt of electricity between them earlier was something closer to a thrill of excitement now.

“ _Now_ , Nihlus….” she half snarled at him, drawing him in close. Her sub-harmonics were a raging whirl of confusion, lust primary among the rest.

Nihlus stopped resisting and pressed his free knee against her hip, driving himself into her with one hard thrust. She hissed in pleasure, hooking her spur deeper into his hip and forced him to drive deeper. After only a few deep strokes, she was already nearing her peak. Her eyes snapped open and locked with his. 

*

Nihlus pressed his brow-plates to hers then, the first show of affection he had given anyone in years. His body had moved beyond his control now, climbing higher and higher toward the edge of euphoria. Something within him seemed to bend, nearly snap at the way she locked eyes with him. Her stare was unwavering, almost ruthless in her pursuit of release. He balked at the growing urge to mark her. It blindsided him, coming out of left field so unexpectedly. This was not how he had expected this to go. True, she fascinated him and her skill was nearly a match for his own. He had never seen himself as mate material. In fact, he had avoided the females that could have drawn him into a bond like the plague. The female beneath him, who’s sub-harmonics rumbled out of that state of confusion and into much more possessive tones, had crossed some invisible line he had drawn ages ago. He nuzzled his mandible against hers and moved to gently nip at her neck. She did not resist. Instead, she tilted her head and exposed the long column of that neck.

Before he could do something he might regret, he shifted, pulling her leg free of its anchor around him, and flipped her over. With her carapace in the way, there was little to no risk of marking her. He gripped her hips then and pounded into her, biting back his yell as release ripped through him. Continuing to roll his hips a moment longer, he released the female as soon as she let out a snarling scream. He withdrew from her before her plates could lock him within her for the next half an hour.

*

Solana turned and glared at him the moment release thundered through her. He released her and withdrew, clearly expecting her to be one of the dangerous types of females. As her plates slowly closed, she sealed her undersuit once more and watched him for a moment. Nihlus sat back on his heels replacing the lower section of his armor. He flinched away from her faintly when she crawled over to sit before him. It took a moment for him to realize she was not going to attack him like some females might.

“You resisted. Why?” she asked curiously. She had heard his sub-harmonic mating growls. Her own sub-harmonics had mirrored them.

Tentatively, he reached out and caressed her face. “I would like to know my mate better before I commit to marking her.”

Mandibles flaring in a small smile, Sol nodded in understanding. “I’d like to get to know you too.”

“Then that’s settled. We ensure ourselves that the pull is more than lust or simple infatuation. _And_ … if we live through the next day, we might explore… whatever this is.” Nihlus said with a relieved sigh.

“And where it might lead.” Solana agreed as she rested a hand on his knee.

“Yes.” he said with a faint nod and a flare of his mandibles. “We just need to beat the Reapers.”

  
  



	97. A Rallying Cry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the midst of the chaotic push into London, the teams diverge and run separate missions. Each has the same goal, get Shepard's strike team to that beam... at all costs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Multiple pov here. They insisted.

Natearus T’Loak looked the Commando unit over with narrowed eyes as she stepped off the QEC pad. The contact with Shepard had been unexpected and it was clear the girl had not thought to see her in Samara’s place. _Samara..., this is_ _ **your**_ _team._ _**You**_ _should be here leading them. You had more days ahead of you, more years...._ _ **Goddess**_ … _why take her now? It should have been_ _ **me**_ _._ Her thoughts were a jumble of misery and regret. Walking the front line of the unit, she masked her pain in resolve. It felt more like anger as her usual easy smile tugged into a frown.

Every age group seemed to be represented here. Young and old, maiden, matron and matriarch, all had place among the troops lined up before her. This war was bigger than all of them and there were so few of them left. Some part of her still hoped there were others scattered across the galaxy, but she knew better. Nana knew most of her race had converged on Earth to see the end of the Reapers.

The asari glanced toward Aethyta playing with Lydera and nodded. The matriarch had volunteered to watch over the little one, claiming her biotics were of no use to the war effort. After careful evaluation, Nana had decided the woman was correct. She could barely lift a spoon. They both knew that was a sure ticket to get the woman killed. She was better off sitting on the sidelines.

“Well…” Nana breathed out a sigh as she stopped to glare at them. “There aren't many of us left, are there. These _Reaper bastards_ have seen to that. You know what’s at stake here… our right to exist is on the line. Every one of us, regardless of species, is fighting for our future.” A vein stood out in the side of her neck when she shouted her next questions at them, glaring at them. “ Are you gonna let these synthetic bastards take it from you? Are you gonna lay down and die so they can rule the galaxy for another 50,000 years?” she paused, eyes narrowing in anger as the commandos cheered her on. Her voice was a cold snarl when she spoke again. “I refuse to lay down and die. I _won’t_ go down without a fight. _Will you?_ ”

Nihlus spoke up a short distance away. His green eye was a shocking contrast with his silver-gray cybernetic eye as he pushed himself off the rear of the Mako behind them. “The humans have a poem that fits this occasion… a little too well. To sum it up, it simply says: ‘ _Do not go gently into the night_ ’. I, for one, plan to raise hell and take as many of those bastards with me as I can.”

*

Shepard leaned against the wall behind the desk as Anderson and his teams cleared out. She stared at the holo-map, her attention locked to it as her squad began to file in. Glancing up at them, she took note of every detail. The strain, the anxiety, the dirt and grim on each of their faces told a story all its own. These were the people she had spent the last years of her life with. They were the people she would sacrifice that life for if came to that. Her friends, her family… they were everything to her.

Taking a step around the table, she twisted the finger of one hand thoughtfully. This next mission weighed heavily on her shoulders and she was certain they knew it. They could see it just as she could see it in all of them.

“This war has brought us pain and suffering... and loss.” she glanced down at her hands as she reached the edge of the table and continued around it. Holding up a hand for emphasis, she glanced back up at them. “But it’s also brought us together -- as soldiers, allies.... friends.” Shepard spread her hands at that, looking over each of their faces as she walked around the table. “This bond that ties us together is something the Reapers will _never_ understand. It’s more powerful than any weapon, stronger than any ship. It can’t be taken or destroyed.” she paused and locked eyes with Garrus for a brief instant as he towered above the others from behind. She moved into their ranks then, ensuring her words hit home. “The next few hours will decide the fate of everyone in the galaxy. Every mother, every son.... every unborn child.” her hand involuntarily pressed against the armor over her lower belly and she closed her eyes briefly, never missing a beat. “They’re _trusting_ you, _depending_ on you to win them their future.” she managed an entire circuit of the room before stopping to face them again. “A future free of the threat of the Reapers. But take heart, look around you. You’re _not_ in this fight alone. We face our enemy together. And _together_ , we _will_ defeat them.”

The crew of the Normandy, her squad, all stood a little taller, a little prouder at the faith she had placed in them. They remained silent, waiting for her to choose the final strike team. Each of them had a role to play, their specific skill sets critical to different parts of this mission.

As she looked them over, she nodded to herself. She knew exactly who she needed with her in this. _No doubts, no regrets… this battle decides… everything_ , she thought and clamped down on any uncertainty that tried to creep in. Now was not the time to consider anything beyond winning this thing. Her stomach rolled and she pressed a hand to it, catching a concerned look from her bondmate.

“Garrus… James… You’re with me on point.” her eyes roved over the others, a look of determination settling over her features. “The rest of you know what’s at stake. Make the galaxy proud.”

With that, she headed quickly out of the room and rushed down the ramp. She barely made it to the bottom before darting in behind a crumbling column. _It’s nerves, you know it’s nerves_ , she told herself as her stomach heaved the contents of her last mean into the dirt. But she knew it was not just her nerves. She had not lost her lunch before a battle since Elysium.

“You ok?” her bondmate’s voice rolled over her soothingly as his large hand gently gripped her armored shoulder.

She glanced back at him and huffed a faint laugh as she regained her composure. “Just nerves… I’m fine.”

“Seems to me... “ he said and glanced toward the krogan troops moving out. His eyes returned to hers with a rumble. “ _Commander_ Shepard is made of iron, determination and cold grit…. No room for nerves in that mix. So... what’s really wrong?”

“When this is over… I…” Reaching up to caress the scarred side of his face, she let out a quiet breath. She bit her lip and reminded herself exactly why she could not tell him yet. Oh, but she wanted to. It was right there, on the tip of her tongue. “ _I promise_ …. I’ll hold you to that retirement plan.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way.” he rumbled softly as they headed toward the transports.

*

Garrus watched her closely as she jogged on ahead of him to catch up with Anderson. Something was off, but he could not put his talon on precisely what it was. He barely noticed Javik coming up alongside him until the Prothean spoke.

“Guard your mate with your life, tur -- Garrus… She carries the future.” Javik said cryptically.

Garrus nodded and glanced down at the last of a once proud race. “Without her leading us, I doubt we’d have made it this far.”

“Be that as it may… do not permit her to take the beam to the Citadel alone. She must survive this fight.” the Prothean insisted and was about to say something else when Anderson signalled them all to take cover.

Garrus spotted Aria and Nyreen between the passing tanks. Several Talons members raced past them, taking cover wherever they could. His eyes widened when one tossed a cluster grenade into the onrushing horde of husks. It went off, blowing Reaper twisted bodies everywhere.

At Shepard’s signal, he and James split off from the rest, heading up the side of a downed building. When they came to the edge, Shepard sat and dropped to the ground below with a grunt. He was glad to see that she landed firmly on her feet.

Garrus knelt down and dropped with a pained grunt as the impact shot up his barely healed leg spur. He staggered, but managed to maintain his footing. James dropped a few feet away and seemed to simply bounce back as if there was nothing to it. _I must be getting old_ , the turian thought with a pang of jealousy. _A few years ago… a fifteen foot drop would have been a breeze_. He moved on ahead of Shepard, taking cover just across from her as she pressed herself against the crumbling wall.

*

Lilfrey lead her Cabal unit into the fight with her mandibles pinned tightly to her face. She popped the spent heat sync from her pistol and glared back at her advancing unit. They were good. The best of the best, in fact, but she did not know if they were good enough. The Vanguards rushed forward, shielded by those Adepts chosen for support only. Biotics ripped through the air, sparking, crackling and flashing in the night. The scent of ozone lay heavy in the air. Reaper-spawn dropped with every blast and the atmosphere seemed charged with electricity. As the Kabalim joined her forces in the power struggle, she revealed in the thrill of the hunt.

The turian missed a step and nearly had her head taken off by a brute when she saw her cousin advancing with the asari commandos. Her eyes widened at the hardware shining across the side of his skull. At first, she thought the Reapers might have started to turn him into a marauder. That was until she saw him grab the turian girl beside him and thrust her to the side, out of the way of a Cannibal’s attack. When he gunned the Reaper-spawn down and offered his hand to the girl, she knew he was not corrupted. The question was, how was he alive? If they survived this battle, she meant to find out.

*

Nihlus thought he caught a glimpse of Lilfrey across the battlefield leading a Cabal unit. He did not have time to confirm that as a Cannibal drove forward, firing its weapon on his unit. Mouth dropping, mandibles flaring in shock, he pushed Solana roughly out of the line of fire. Without a second thought, he gunned the Reaper-spawn down. When it dropped, he put a foot firmly on its shoulder and blew a hole through its main head. The instant it lay still, he turned back to Sol and offered her a hand up. She took it gratefully, drawing him in quickly, wrapping an arm around him. Her arm jerked against his carapace as she fired at something behind him. He glanced in that direction and saw the husk dropping to its knees. His mandibles flared at the smaller female still pressed against him in appreciation when he looked back to her.

“I normally work better alone.” he murmured.

“We make a better team.” Solana said and parted from him, dropping another husk that came charging out of the horde.

“That we do.” Nihlus mused more softly and turned to take down the Cannibal that had boldly dropped to munch on its ‘brother’.

*

The sounds of combat filled the air as Shepard threw a singularity out to capture the two Cannibals around the corner. The marauder beyond them resisted the gravitational pull and ducked into cover. It fired on them, growling in that bastardized turian dialect the Reapers had twisted.

A couple of well placed shots later and Shepard stepped out of cover, running forward as far as she could before smacking her back against another wall for cover. She peeked around the corner, she spotted a couple of Cannibals before the comm went off in her ear.

 _~All companies report in.~_ Coats barked into her ear.

 _~Artillery companies, Able through Foxtrot are en route.~_ came a female’s voice.

 _~Roger that. Golf through November taking up right flank. Pressing forward.~_ came a male voice.

The Cannibals went down between Garrus and James' weapons fire. The moment they were out of the way, she advanced. This drop was not as steep and she took it quickly, moving out of the way so that her team could join her. She watched Garrus with growing concern as he favored his right leg more and more. That spur, she knew, had never healed correctly.

When he dropped, landing on his feet with a nod, she turned toward the Mako ahead. They needed to stick with that vehicle and remain as close as possible to it.

Shepard stepped into a jog toward it and gasped, skidding to a halt the instant the vehicle exploded. She barely had time to absorb the sight when bullets whizzed past her overhead. Running for the burned out shell of the Mako, she tucked herself behind one of its massive tires.

*

Garrus threw himself behind a cement barricade and checked the heat sync in his rifle. _Too close to snipe. Need to mow them down… and fast_. He tapped the hidden sensors on the frame of his visor and brought up the thermal targeting system. Raising up just a fraction to peek over the edge of the barricade, he counted six, maybe seven Marauders. They were clustered together and seemed to merge together as they advanced on the team’s position.

Glancing at Shepard, his mandibles pinned themselves to his face in determination. He made a decision then, realizing that he would sacrifice everything to keep her safe. A few pieces of the most recent puzzle she had presented him were beginning to fall into place. As he vaulted over that barricade and peppered the Reaper-spawn with bullets, he mulled over Javik’s words.

 _~Anybody know how the hell we’re supposed to take down a destroyer with tanks?~_ came the frustrated question over the comms.

 _~Thanix missiles can do a fuckton of damage.~_ came the reply.

_~If you say so.~_

_~Cut the chatter. You heard the admiral. No retreat!~_ Major Coats barked.

Garrus tuned them out and kept moving the second the Reaper forces were down. He watched Shepard run toward the front of the burning Mako. the turian heard it before he saw it and ran toward her.

“ _Shepard! Harvester!_ ” he yelled, eyes widening as it fired at his mate.  
  
  



	98. Clearing a Path

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clearing a path into downtown London is a daunting task. Is the team up for it?

Shepard’s eyes snapped toward the Harvester landing on the downed building ahead with a gasp. The second Mako was already rolling around the first burned out vehicle. She heard the scream of a Banshee as well.

Seconds, that was the time frame between her bondmate’s shout and the chaos that ensued. The Harvester’s beam missed her by millimeters. Her shields crackled with the onslaught of heat and energy as she threw herself against a wall. That wave of heat nearly blistered her skin. The side of her face reddened as she closed her eyes against it and turned away.

The blast barely missed the second Mako as it dissipated. The scream of the Banshee closeby drew her attention once more. Locking eyes with her worried mate for a brief second, she squeezed her pistol in an iron grip. With a deep breath, she bolted from cover and ran ahead a few yards to take cover behind the second vehicle as it moved along.

“Firing high impact shot!” Garrus barked.

A moment later, Shepard heard the muffled boom of his rifle’s lower barrel discharging a large round. She heard the popping snick sound of the sticky bomb making contact with the Harvester up ahead. The distinctive blue glow of a biotically charged round blossomed beneath the Harvester’s jaw an instant later.

“ _Ah… shit!_ ” she breathed and threw herself at a nearby barricade.

The commander had barely managed to hit the dirt behind it when the sticky bomb exploded. The Harvester went with it, a mini-nuke in the middle of the ruined city. The flash was so bright, she saw it through her eyelids.

The Banshee did not miss a beat. Before the after images had even cleared the mutated asari came screaming past the Mako toward her. She barely noticed James moving in from her right as she fired on it. The commander wished a thousand times over that her biotics worked on those Reaper-spawn. But no matter what she threw at them, they just kept coming.

This one was moving fast. It ran toward her and swiped at her with those six inch fingernails they all seemed to have. It just missed as she sidestepped it. The creature hit the barricade at knee level and toppled over it. Without a second thought, Shepard released her omni-blade and slammed it home in the Banshee’s chest. It screamed and writhed beneath her. She jerked the blade free an instant before its own biotic energy seemed to devour it.

_~Taking heavy fire from the second story. We need you on this, ground team!~_ came the voice of the Mako’s driver. She sounded desperate.

“We’ll try to clear the building!” Shepard yelled over the peppering sounds of gunshots that filled the night. Her eyes turned toward her team then and she motioned on ahead. “James, take point. Garrus… do what you do best, lover.”

“I’m on it, Shepard.” Garrus confirmed with a nod and popped the heat sync from his sniper rifle.

The commander gave him a small smile before running off in the direction of the building in question. She took out two Cannibals along the way with a singularity aimed with precision accuracy. The Marauder that stepped out to her left went down hard and fast, a combat knife blossoming from what remained of his cranial plates.

James ran past her, assault rifle blazing as he took down the pair of husks before the door into the crumbling building. The security lock had shorted out and the door opened easily enough. Her team followed her in cautiously.

_~Foxtrot and Bravo are taking heavy fire.~_ came the voice of another of the Mako drivers. The man sounded frustrated.

Shepard crept into the parking garage, pistol held high and ready. Her team fanned out to either side in an effort to secure the parameter. The only sound for several heartbeats was the crunch of their boots on the fine gravel that had rained down from the ceiling. The clink of metal drew a sharp breath from her as her eyes focused past the dented red skycar she was closing in on.

No sooner than she reached that vehicle, a horde of husks poured around the corner up ahead. Instinctively, she slung out a shockwave, throwing them in every direction at once as the wave of biotic energy popped along the floor. Some of them hit the walls and slid to the floor, remaining there. Others got back up and continued on their murderous path. She and her team made short work of them and the garage grew quiet again.

That was when she heard it, an animalistic snarl and a thump. She knew those sounds far too well and cringed as the Brute lumbered out into the space before her. Her heart sank when the second one stepped out from behind the first. Wonderful. _These bastards are hard enough to deal with in the open_.

The first of the pair pawed the cracked cement before thundering toward her, its entire bulk hunkered low and bearing down on a single armored shoulder. Shepard rolled over the hood of the skycar quickly and backed away. The Brute hit the vehicle, shoving it several feet as it crumpled the front end like foil. She hit it with a warp and it howled, raising up to pound its fists against its chest like an ape. Refusing to waste that momentary show of aggression, she did the unthinkable. Shepard rushed toward the Brute, her omni-blade ready. The second it thumped back down onto its knuckles, she rammed her blade deep into its left eye with a yell. Glass shattered, the lights in its face winked out and it staggered forward. If not for Garrus grabbing her and dragging her backward, the thing might have fallen on her.

“A little help here!” James shouted from the other side of the garage as he unloaded his assault rifle on the second Brute.

The loud recoil of a shotgun from the rear of the garage was followed by the Brute dropping to the ground before they could respond. Shepard’s eyes widened, falling on the asari Matriarch glaring at the fallen Reaper-spawn. The woman’s black and red armor was scuffed and battleworn. There was a bleeding gash across her right temple, trailing half way over her forehead.

“ _Go, girl!_ We got the bastards on this floor. There’s a ladder on the far right, leads up to the next floor.” Nana barked and nodded behind her.

It was then that Shepard noticed a few of the asari commandos moving through the crumbling garage doing ‘clean-up detail’. They were taking down husks and Marauders right and left. They were vicious in their biotic attacks.

Shepard nodded and jogged toward the ladder in question. Her hands had barely closed on the rung at eye level when the female Mako driver barked across the comm. _~Gettin’ slaughtered out here, Commander!~_

_~Talons, take the heat off the missile transports!~_ came Nyreen’s shouted orders. _~We’ll buy you some time, Commander.~_

“Acknowledged!” Shepard barked as she practically threw herself up that ladder.

Racing up the ramps created by the collapsing floor, Shepard made her way up to what must have been the building’s third floor. She growled at the radio chatter that came across the comm next.

_~Dammit! Kilo company’s being routed!~_ the woman barked in frustration.

“Keep it together, people!” Shepard barked even as she rounded a corner and came face-to-face with a Ravager along with several Cannibals and a couple of Marauders. Two of the latter were actively firing gun turrets down on the advancing vehicles.

Shepard tucked herself behind the dirty, cracked glass that made up the exterior wall of what had once been an office. She signaled her team to take up defensive positions and cursed silently to herself when James slithered into the room and pressed himself against a battered desk. 

_Lucky, lucky, lucky son of a bitch_ … the thought rolled through her mind as she sucked in a shallow breath. His timing had been all but perfect. The Reaper forces did not hear the crunch of broken glass and ceiling tiles under him. The gunfire masked the sounds.

Glancing at Garrus on the other side of the doorframe. She nodded and glanced toward the Marauders on the turrets. His mandibles fluttered faintly as comprehension flooded his features The turian gripped his sniper rifle in both hands, turning toward the cracked and pockmarked glass on his side of the door. He carefully pushed the barrel through one of the holes that littered the cracks.

Shepard realized his scope was almost completely blocked as he knelt and lined up his first target. The rifle went off and his hand cocked it lightning fast as one Marauder dropped and the other released his hold on the gun turret. It turned in their direction, but before it could take more than two steps, Garrus dropped it. The Marauder went down, toppling out what had once been a floor to ceiling window.

James was shoving the table right into the Ravager’s bloated belly as he pinned it against the wall. He leveled his assault rifle on what passed for its face with a sneer. His voice was a snarl as he pulled the trigger and unloaded an entire clip into it. “Hasta luego, _bitch_.”

_~Charlie company’s been taken out.~_ someone snapped across the comm frantically.

_~Watch Echo’s flank! We can’t lose them too!~_ Lilfrey’s yell came crackling over the airwaves.

_~All’s quiet up top! Get your asses in gear and let’s move out! Shepard’s team just put those bastards down.~_ Echo company’s drive called out a moment later.

Shepard wasted no time in moving through what she was beginning to realize was once someone’s apartment. _Not an office… a home. This nightmare has to end_. She stepped into the small kitchen and grabbed the discarded packs of medi-gel lying on the counter.

“Poor bastard.” James muttered from behind a partition in the main room.

“Hmm… bad way to go. Probably thought he had no choice.” Garrus agreed.

“It looks like they tried to turn him anyway. Look at the burn patterns on the bed.” James pointed out.

Shepard made her way over to them and stepped in between them. The sight that met her eyes then made her wish she had headed straight for the door instead. The charred skeleton on the bed looked to have been dead for months. There was a hole through what had once been the roof of the mouth and another out the top of the skull. From the old splatter stains on the wall behind the bed, she did not have to guess what had happened. This person had put the gun that now lay in their skeletal hand in their mouth and pulled the trigger.

“Nothing we can do for them now.” Shepard said, clapping a hand to James’ shoulder as she stepped past him.

Squatting down, she snagged the bag of thermal clips under the bed. Rifling through it quickly, she tossed it up to James. They could use those, she knew. There were an assortment of clips in there. Levering herself back to her feet, she looked the gun over that rested in the skeleton’s hand.

“At least it was quick.” she murmured as she carefully lifted the M-11 Supressor out of that skeletal grip. She looked to James and he shook his head. With a nod, she handed it to Garrus instead.

The turian took the pistol, looked it over and popped the spent heat sync out of it. He clicked a fresh one in place before tucking the weapon into an empty compartment in the cuisse over his right thigh. Garrus had no qualms about respectfully taking useful items from the dead in combat situations.

Finally the commander headed past them and rounded the corner toward the door leading out of the apartment. She did not know if it would open on its own or not given its condition, but she touched the flicker disk anyway. She jumped back with a sharp inhale of breath the second the husk’s hand shot through the doors as they barely slid apart. It hissed and reached through the small opening at her as the door grated and jammed

The husk wedged itself tight and snarled, waving its arm around as it tried to grab her. Glaring at it, she pulled her pistol from its holster and put a neat hole through its head. The thing dropped and the door ground the rest of the way open.

_~Alright, people. Eyes peeled.~_ Coats’ orders blared across the comm the second she stepped over the dead husk and into the hallway. _~The buildings will give us some cover, but it gives them a place to hide.~_

_~Roger that.~_ the female driver acknowledged.

Shepard and her team made their way to the end of the hallway. The floor slanted dangerously toward open space. The rest of the building had sheared off and collapsed. She moved to the edge carefully and dropped roughly ten feet to the rubble strewn street below. Big chunks of wall littered the road and she took cover behind one. Her team followed her, Garrus limping a little more with each drop.

_~This is Echo company. There’s not enough room to maneuver the tanks in here.~_ the woman driving Echo’s main tank called over the comm.

_~Backtrack if you have to, but find another route ASAP~_ Coats ordered sounding frustrated.

_~Acknowledged.~_ the woman said.

It was then that Shepard heard the Marauders, at least half a dozen of them. They growled out the course Reaper-ized version of the turian language and rushed in to fill the unnatural quiet that had enveloped the team since they had left the building.


	99. Losses and Discoveries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus realizes the primarch might have been killed with the rest of the task force up above.

Garrus watched his mate fire off biotic skill after biotic skill. He knew she had to be wearing down, but she just kept right on going. The Marauders took little damage from her skills and that frustrated him nearly as much as it did her. That was why he shot overload arcs at them regularly. He supplemented his omni-tool’s advanced electrical circuitry with a trickle of biotic energy. It was so much easier than he remembered. When they had boarded the derelict Reaper, charging a heat sync was draining. _Now… now I’m charging three or more at a time… multiple rounds. Spirits… is that normal?_ Those were questions he was not sure if he would ever get the answers to as he hit the Marauder closest to her with an overload.

That pistol Shepard picked up in the apartment turned out to be a little monster. One shot from it went cleanly through a Marauder’s head. He overloaded those near his mate and blew holes in the ones that slipped past and rushed toward him. The turian barely noticed James mowing down anything in his path with an assault rifle. He only noticed the man when he shoved three Marauders out of his way in a cluster. His brow-plates raised in shock at the brute force.

 _~Contact!~_ a shout came over the comms the second a Brute rumbled into view. _~This is Delta! We’re bein’ overrun!~_

 _~What’s your location?~_ Coats asked harshly.

The screams were enough to force Garrus to mute his comm for the moment. He did not hear the reply, but his bondmate had. She glanced back at him. A breath later, she threw a cluster grenade at the Brute and barely waited for it to explode before dashing off toward Delta’s location.

“They’re gone.” Garrus rumbled, coming up behind her as she shielded her face from the raging inferno that once was a convoy of Makos.

“We’re losing too many people… all of us. We have to get to that beam.” Shepard growled and stomped away from the burning wreckage.

Garrus heard the Cannibal’s weapon whirr to life just inside the shattered storefront. He closed the distance between himself and Shepard in the nick of time. Taking the three long steps to her, he grabbed her and threw them both down below the bottom of the shattered window. He heard James yelp as the Reaper-spawn stepped out from between two sets of shelves. The human took a couple of hard hits before diving into cover himself.

Glancing toward his location, Garrus breathed a faint sigh of relief when Vega’s hand raised above the barricade he had taken shelter behind. Shepard was right, they were losing far too many people. Eyes narrowing, he pulled a handful of heat syncs from the pouch he kept at his hip. Peeking over the edge of the short wall, he gripped those items and sent a charge into them.

Shepard’s eyes widened as they began to glow brighter than most of those he charged. He made a note of it and lobbed them into the store. They hit the floor, bouncing a few times. The faint metallic sound music to his ears. Three heartbeats later, they exploded, rocking the building hard enough to send plaster raining down from the ceiling.

Tapping the thermal targeting system in his visor, he peered over the wall, his mandibles flaring slightly when he spotted the bodies on the floor. Nothing moved. His voice was quiet when he confirmed the scene. “Clear.”

“When this is over, we need to evaluate your biotic skill level.” Shepard said softly when she climbed to her feet and vaulted over the wall into the building

 _~Able company’s broken through.~_ one man said through the comm.

A moment later, another in his team made an awed statement. _~God, that destroyer’s huge.~_

_~Hold your position. The rest of Hammer is still en route.~_ Coats ordered firmly.

When the team made it to the other side of the store, there was not a single Reaper-spawn left standing. They stepped out the shattered door into the street. There was a massive crater in the middle of the road and by the way the buildings looked beyond, Garrus imagined it might once have been a hill.

 _~The destroyer spotted us. We’re preparing Thanix missiles.~_ Able’s leader stated firmly.

 _~Hold your fire. You won’t do anything but piss it off.~_ Coats growled at the man.

 _~Roger that, but we may have no choice.~_ the other man grumbled with an exasperated sigh.

 _~Understood.~_ it was clear that Coats was acknowledging that grudgingly.

They made their way through the gulley of that crater with only a couple of Cannibals to take down. In Garrus’ book, it did not amount to a real fight. They went down easily and Shepard climbed up the broken edges of pavement toward the next building. He followed her up quickly and they both took cover outside the next storefront.

 _~Destroyer just took out half our company.~_ Able's team leader snapped a few minutes later. _~Firing remaining missiles!~_

 _~Belay that, Smyth!~_ Coats snapped savagely.

 _~We’re being slaughtered! Missiles away!~_ Smyth barked and they heard the thwarp sound in the near distance.

 _~Any effect?~_ Coats asked after a moment.

 _~Negative…~_ Smyth breathed incredulously. _~Can’t get a lock. Something’s messing with our guidance.~_

 _~We’re almost there, Able. Hold on.~_ Coats said firmly.

“Dammit… this is worse than we thought.” Shepard breathed as she pressed her back against the cold concrete wall of the storefront.

Garrus just nodded and blew away a couple of the Reaper forces between them and the door they needed in the back of this small store. It only took a few seconds to cross the room once the enemies were down.

 _~We’re at the rendezvous. Hammer companies, report in!~_ Coats barked, clearly hoping there were more than a handful of those companies to report.

 _~Bravo and Delta companies have sustained heavy casualties. No word from Able or Charlie.~_ one of the other teams reported briefly. _~Echo, Foxtrot and India are here, but severely depleted. Lost contact with Golf.~_

 _~All companies prep Thanix missiles. Be ready, people.~_ Coats growled his orders.

They were moving fast through the interior of the building toward a loading dock. The second all resistance ceased, they moved forward. That was how this battle was going. It amounted to little skirmishes all along the way. Garrus thought that might be the most wearing thing in all this.

 _~How are we supposed to take that thing down?~_ Smyth complained over the comm as he clearly got a real good look at the destroyer.

 _~We wait for it to get close, then we hit it with everything we’ve got.~_ Coats sighed. Clearly he knew this battle might well end them all.

 _~Our guidance systems are buggered!~_ the other man snapped harshly.

 _~Roger that. Our engineers are on it.~_ Coats stated.

 _~You’re forgetting line of sight.~_ a dual-toned turian voice interjected. Garrus frowned for a moment and realized that was Victus. _~If we can’t compensate for the beam’s interference… use your eyes.~_

They came to an alleyway the instant they were clear of the building. The tight space seemed too calm, too quiet and he stepped just past the corners of the buildings into it. He listened for a moment and heard the telltale tones of a pair of Brutes not far away. Cautiously, he ventured a little further and jumped back with a yell the second the wall to his right exploded into the alley. “ _Damn!_ Butes on the way!”

 _~They’re sending in more ground forces!~_ Smyth growled even as Shepard’s team took down the pair of Brutes.

“ _Really?_ Ya think?” Shepard snapped bitterly.

 _~They’re coming in behind us!~_ one of the women said frantically.

 _~They’re coming from everywhere!~_ Smyth yelled. _~They’re going for the tanks!~_

 _~Hold the flank!~_ Lilfrey yelled at her troops. _~Do not let them through! We need those missiles!~_

 _~Protect the tanks at all costs!~_ Major Coats shouted brusquely. _~Without those missiles, we’ve got no chance!~_

 _~You didn’t really think you could win this thing without Omega, did you?~_ came Aria’s smug purr.

 _~I don’t care who you are… protect those tanks!~_ Coats barked over the comm.

Garrus followed Shepard’s lead through a door out of the loading docks. They all heard the Reaper’s wail from above as its feet thundered through the city. His eyes were drawn upward, past the mechanical menace toward the small task force setting up a gun turret just inside the shell of a building. He noted the asari, a krogan, a couple of turians and at least one human among them.

Anderson’s voice cut through the comm then and Garrus realized they were within range of their goal. _~Take them out any way you can!~_

The Reaper moved along, practically stepping on buildings. It drew closer to the task force’s position and the turian’s mandibles fluttered in mild anxiety. He brought his sniper scope up to his eye to get a better look at the team up top and nearly hissed at the sight. Victus was up there and he saw a couple of salarians as well.

“All units, open fire!” the asari yelled loud enough to be heard at ground level.

Gunfire rained down on the Reaper from all directions as it closed in on the unit before them. None seemed effective. They threw everything they had at it and still it kept coming. Some even threw biotic attacks at it.

“Where’s our fire support? We need reinforcements on the --” the asari’s voice split the static of the comm a second before the Reaper’s shielding opened over it’s primary weapon. It fired on them before they had a chance to move more than a few feet.

Garrus grunted in shock as the entire fourth floor of the building collapsed on them in a blaze of boiling liquid fire. The Reaper had virtually melted that entire floor along with the task force.

“Shepard….” Garrus said numbly, his eyes finding those of his bondmate as they sheltered between the buildings for a moment longer. “Victus was up there.”

“You sure?” she asked, a frown knitting her brows together.

“Saw him through the scope.” he nodded and swallowed hard as he tapped his rifle's scope with a finger.

Shepard’s face was a mask of neutrality as she looked back toward the burning building dripping molten stone. She nodded after a moment and gripped his shoulder firmly when her eyes locked to his face again. “I’m sorry. Palaven lost a good leader… We’ll win this in his honor... and all those who fell before him.”

The Reaper fired again on another task force further away. He shook his head at the senselessness of it all. _No way to know for sure who was up there… or how many more we’ll lose before this is done._ The thought rolled through his mind completely detached from emotion. A stray thought surfaced then and he cringed at the idea. _How far down that line are you now, Vakarian?_

Shepard was watching that Reaper walk away as it headed toward the other task forces scattered among the upper floors of the buildings. The second it cleared them, she darted out of cover into the street. Garrus growled quietly at her recklessness and ran after her. The street was littered with the bodies of the dead, wrecked shuttles, trashed skycars and rubble.

Garrus spotted the remaining pair of Makos hosting the Thanix missiles and pointed on ahead. “There’s the artillery.”

“Yeah, but the company’s been wiped out, bro. Nobody left to fire the damn things.” James grumbled and pressed himself against a downed shuttled to take out a Cannibal.

 _~Commander, do you read me?~_ came Coats’ voice over the comm a heartbeat later.

“Loud and clear, Major. What’s the situation?” Shepard responded, catching a lull in the waves of attack.

 _~Missile guidance is fucked. We need to hit the destroyer with a precision strike to take it out.~_ Coats informed her.

“ _Dammit_.” Shepard breathed in frustration. Her face turned toward the destroyer and the beam beyond. “EDI, can you read me?”

“Yes, Commander.” EDI’s voice came over the comms an instant later.

“Any suggestions?” Shepard asked.

“I may be able to use the Normandy’s systems to enhance the missile’s targeting capabilities.” EDI suggested.

“Excellent.” Shepard breathed with a nod.

“I’ll need you to open a link to the Normandy from the missile systems.” EDI explained in a matter of fact tone.

“On it.” Shepard said and headed toward the first tank.

Garrus followed her knowing full well it would likely be his tech skills that got that link established. The moment the commander reached the tank and the console in its side, she glanced back at him. He nodded his understanding and stepped up to the keyboard.

Tapping a few commands, he brought up system diagnostics and rerouted the guidance system to the Normandy. The first set of missiles would be locked and loaded the minute EDI established her end of the patch.

“That’s it.” the AI said quickly over the comm. “I’ll let you know when I’ve adapted the targeting systems.”

 _~Sounds like good news, Commander.~_ Coats cut in a moment later, his transmission crackling.

“We’ll see.” Shepard breathed skeptically, her eyes locked to the destroyer and the beam beyond.

 _~Hammer, this is Admiral Anderson. The Reaper ground forces are making a push. Hold your ground -- protect those tanks until we can get a shot.~_ Anderson informed them. The crackle in his comm told them he was still a little further out.

“You heard him, people. Get ready.” Shepard said loudly both to the team and anyone who might still be listening over the comm in the area.

Garrus had moved to the front of the tank to get a look at the area ahead. He could see the other tank several blocks away. His eyes narrowed at the movement he saw beyond it. The turian raised his sniper rifle and peered through the scope. His sub-harmonics rumbled in an irritated growl when he saw the Reaper-spawn heading their way.

“There they are!” he called and waved his rifle in their general direction.

The destroyer up ahead wailed and fired at an airborne target. Garrus ducked down wondering if that beam was going to reach them in a wide sweep. After a moment, he realized it was knocking out missiles heading of it and his heart sank. Those missiles were being fired by airborne support in an effort to distract the thing. Who knew how many of those fighters were being lost with each pass of that weapon.

Shepard and James had moved off in separate directions, each fighting their own small pockets of enemy forces. Garrus was distracted, taking careful aim at a Marauder running up the center of the street. He did not notice the trio closing in behind him. Until a metal taloned hand closed around his throat.

“Crap..” he grunted as he was lifted forcibly off the ground. One hand gripped the cold metal encased wrist of the distorted turian dragging him upward. The other reached for the combat knife strapped to his right calf. He scrabbled for its hilt as black spots began to dance in his vision. The second Marauder was closing in fast, reaching for his chest and the third, he lost sight of.

Darkness was edging in on him as the Marauder squeezed his throat shut. He missed the hilt of that knife more than once. The second he thought he had a grip on it, he brought it up and rammed it into the twisted turian’s jaw, right up through its head. It dropped him as it collapsed and he coughed, sucking in great lungfuls of air. It was not until he swung that blade on the other two nearby that he realized exactly what he had done.

Eyes wide in shock, he nearly choked at the sight before him. His right fist shimmered brightly in a biotic field stronger than any he could remember ever grasping. The biotic ‘blade’ receded to his knuckles and he dropped his grasp on the energy.

 _Well… that’s new…_ , he thought, completely detached from reality for a moment.


	100. In Sight of the Beam

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The skirmishes along the way ramp up as the team draws closer to their destination. Wounded, Garrus is evacuated from the scene, but not before the pieces of a puzzle that has been nagging him fall sharply into place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Break out the tissues, guys. It's gonna be a bumpy ride from here on out. 
> 
> Dual pov... because... you know...

The battle was brutal and more so when the pair of Brutes showed up. Shepard watched James go down under one and prayed the man was not dead. She very nearly missed the third one that launched itself at her over the crumbling wall of a burned-out shop. The commander rolled away from it, firing her pistol at it as she went.

“Harvester!” came Vega’s half-strangled shout and she knew he was alive.

“Nothing’s ever easy!” Shepard shouted in a strained voice as she popped a biotic shield between herself and the Brute. Her kinetic shields were failing rapidly and her armor was cracking under the strain.

Struggling just to maintain her footing, Shepard saw the Harvester Vega had called out about land just across the street. It was closer than she had ever been to one, the closest she ever wanted to get. She thought her number was up when the Brute slammed her down into the dirt, cracking one of her pauldrons with a loud crunch.

“Get off her, you Reaper bastard!” the sudden snarl of a dual-toned female voice startled her.

The Brute was trying to push her through the ground when the turian raced up its back. Shepard saw her omni-blades come down across its spindly neck before its head bounced away. Her eyes widened as it started to collapse over her and she wiggled her way out of its now slack grasp.

“Nice to see you, Lil.” Shepard wheezed as she wiggled.

Lilfrey gripped her under the arms and dragged her out from under the Brute as a biotic field lifted it just a fraction. The turian’s mandibles flared slightly as she hauled the commander to her feet. “You didn’t think we’d let you run through the city without backup… did you?”

“I thought I taught you better than that, girl,” Nana grumbled and dropped the hold on her biotics, effectively dropping the Brute where Shepard had been.

The screams of a pair of Banshees put a dampener on their reunions. Shepard spotted Garrus limping toward them holding his throat and wondered what had happened. She had no time to ask as they all dove back into the fray. Things went to hell fast when the Marauders and Cannibals came rushing in with them.

Shepard threw everything she had at this new wave of Reaper-spawn. They just seemed to keep coming. The destroyer made things worse when it spotted her team and fired on them. The red beam ripped through the pavement before her, cooking everything in its path. That meant it literally took out two of its own ‘troopers’ in the form of those Banshees.

Nana threw biotic skills out at the enemy right and left while Garrus switched over to his assault rifle. He mowed down everything that moved ahead of them. The whole world had gone to pure and utter chaos when EDI’s voice finally cut through the comm.

“Commander, the destroyer is in range. Missiles are ready for launch.” the AI stated briskly.

“A little busy here, EDI,” Shepard grumbled as the last Banshee shrieked as it died.

“ _Go! We’ll cover you!_ ” Nana snapped and tossed up a biotic wall between the tank and the advancing Reaper-spawn.

Garrus knelt close by and blew away everything that attempted to circumvent that wall of biotics. Nana’s wall was not a bubble, after all. It only stretched so far in either direction. Reaper blood sprayed everywhere as he mowed down Cannibals brutally.

“Firing!” Shepard barked the instant she touched the console. Her eyes were glued to the destroyer in the near distance.

 _~It’s going down!~_ Coats hooted over the comm the second the missiles hit the destroyer.

Shepard patched herself into the master comm then. “Hit ‘em with everything you’ve got!”

There were blasts from every corner of the city in the seconds following her orders. She shielded her eyes and watched the destroyer explode under the onslaught. It was a glorious sight.

“Destroyer terminated!” EDI called out and Shepard almost thought there was a note of satisfaction in the AI’s voice.

“Nice work, EDI.” Shepard breathed as she watched what remained of the metal menace fall over.

 _~Shepard. We’re on our way to your location.~_ came Anderson’s voice a few seconds later. 

“Roger that.” She breathed with a nod as she turned to see the Admiral’s Mako rolling in over the debris behind them. A small host of the other teams accompanied it.

*

Garrus breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his sister limping along beside Nihlus. His father brought up the rear, sniper rifle in hand. The younger turian’s eyes narrowed at the interlocked hands between Nihlus and Sol.

“Shepard! Over here!” Anderson called as he climbed out of the Mako. The man looked relieved that they were alive, Shepard in particular. “Thank god you made it.”

“It didn’t look good…” Shepard admitted as the man closed in on her.

“Yeah…” the man sighed with a nod as the others joined them. “It gets worse.”

“Course it does.” Shepard sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose for a moment.

“Hackett just reported in. Several Sovereign-class Reapers -- including Harbinger -- have broken off from the battle with Sword. They’re headed here.”

“Several?” Garrus asked in shock.

“Hackett sees it as an opportunity to get the Crucible in place.” Anderson nodded.

“We gotta get those arms open again… now,” Nana growled, coming to a stop beside them.

“We still don’t even know what the damn thing will do,” Coats growled, stopping to Shepard’s right. “Or what we’ll find when we get to the Citadel.”

“This may be our only shot…” Shepard nodded, her eyes roving over all of them.

“Alright.” Anderson glanced at them all and nodded. “Saddle up, everybody.”

Garrus did not hear what the Admiral said to Coats as he and the others climbed into the Mako. he settled himself into a seat and strapped in silently. Shepard followed a short time later and took the seat beside him. Her fingers laced with his and gripped his hand hard enough to cause his knuckles to creak. His father took a seat across from him and nodded, sinking into it wearily. Nana took the seat beside him and the elder Vakarian’s hand came to rest on the asari’s knee.

Nihlus and Solana sat together, brow-plates firmly pressed to each other as the Mako lurched forward. Garrus said nothing. He could not begrudge any of them a moment of peace from any source they could find. Later, if there was time when this thing was over, he meant to ask a few curious questions. Right now, he simply enjoyed a moment in his own place of peace.

Frowning down at his omni-tool, he opened the message that pinged across it. The encryption was sophisticated and carried the signature coding used by the Shadow Broker. His frown increased as he tapped a few sequences of keys, cracking the encryption in a short time.

Garrus stared at the message for several long minutes, but it just did not make sense to him. Why would the asari insist on something so odd? Of course he meant to protect her. He reread the message a couple of times and still, it made little sense.

_Protect the precious soul within your mate. The future rests within her._

There was nothing more to it. No sender, no recipient. Just the core of the message. He scratched his fringe thoughtfully and set the puzzle aside for later contemplation.

 _~It’s now or never, Admiral. We’re going in.~_ Anderson’s voice came over the comm.

 _~Acknowledged. I’ll send the word.~_ Hackett replied calmly. _~All ships, this is Admiral Hackett. The Crucible is on the move. I repeat; the Crucible is on the move. Protect it at all costs. Everyone... this is it. Any available squadrons… delay those Reapers leaving the battle. We’ve got to give Hammer more time.~_

“From here on in, it’s a straight shot to the beam,” Anderson said, raising up with a nod as he drew their attention.

“A straight shot with Reapers trying to crush us along the way.” Coats grumbled from his position beside James.

Anderson shifted, turning in his seat to look at the man. “We just need to get a handful of troops through.”

Garrus looked at him and shook his head. His voice carried every bit of the irony and sarcasm he could drop into his it. “That all?”

“We knew this was gonna be a gamble at best,” Anderson said, leaning forward and pinning him with an almost pleading look. 

Garrus glanced at his bondmate and realized she was about half zoned out at the moment. He could not begin to imagine what must be racing through her mind. The only thing he knew for sure was that she had grown pale and that odd scent she had been carrying over the last weeks was growing stronger.

The woman blinked into the silence for a few seconds and then glanced between all of them, her eyes lingering on Garrus. “I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather do this with.”

As the Mako rumbled to a halt, they all stood. Garrus gripped the personnel strap over his head and nodded. “Feels like this fight’s always ours to finish.”

Shepard nodded at his words. “We’re not just gonna finish it, we’re gonna win it.”

“We’re in sight of the target,” Coats said after a moment.

“Alright, everyone. This is it.” Anderson said forcefully as they all steadied themselves under the sudden cease of motion.

Shepard was pitched forward as the Mako hit something. Garrus barely managed to catch her before she bounced off the bulkhead behind him. She clung to him even as Anderson forced the hatch open and hopped out. Her attention snapped to the opening and she pushed off him, gripping his hand as they both made their way out.

“Shit…” Anderson growled as they all saw the damage to the Mako’s front end. The man jogged forward and glared at the beam down the hill from them.

Shepard joined him, Garrus drawing up at her side, his eyes widening at the destruction below them. The bones of buildings and ships lined the path to that beam. The blue light from that beam turned night into day around it. The light shot straight up into the heavens from between three Reaper legs. If it had been anything else, Garrus might have called it beautiful.

The turian cringed when the Reaper landed behind and to the right of that beam causing the ground to shake at the impact. It roared and he realized he knew that mechanical monster.

“Harbinger…” he whispered, his mind trying desperately to deny the reality of his eyes.

*

“We gotta move!” Anderson shouted over the roar of the Reaper.

“Come on!” Shepard barked at her team, drawing her pistol.

“Hammer squads! Go! Go! Go!” Anderson yelled from above as they dropped to the half-melted path below.

Shepard took off at a dead run down the hill. She heard Garrus and James racing behind her. They did not make it far before the Reaper fired on a Mako a few yards ahead. The vehicle exploded, rolling sideways and she staggered back from the heat and recoil of the blast.

The commander recovered first and stepped into a run once more. Her team followed, she could hear their footfalls on the shattered pavement behind her. Harbinger continued to fire on the teams. She yelled and staggered away from the red beam when it ripped the ground up too close to her.

The second she reached level ground, the Reaper fired on a spot directly in front of her. She was not sure if it missed on purpose or not, but she was pelted by chunks of debris as she ran through it. Staggering to the center of the path, she gasped when the Reaper took down an airship as if it were a toy. She was knocked sideways by the blast and barely managed to maintain her footing as she pushed off the ground with her hands.

*

Garrus raced after her, his legs pumping as fast as they could. He saw the Reaper beam hit the Mako in front and to their right. The vehicle flipped end over end and Shepard disappeared beneath it in a slide. His heart nearly stopped even as he and James came to a sliding halt in their headlong run. The Mako continued to flip, rolling over another damaged vehicle between them. 

Mouth dropping open, Garrus pushed James one way and he dove the other. It was not far enough. The Mako flipped over him, grazing his armor and rolling over his right leg. It sprayed him with burning fuel, peppering him with shrapnel, just before it exploded a short distance away. He bit back a scream at the pain as he tried to crawl to his feet. Burning, he was on fire. His armor was melting and it felt like his plates were coated in acid.

*

“ _No…_ ” Shepard breathed as she watched the Mako roll over her bondmate in horror. 

She ran back toward him and Vega, throwing herself completely over the burning Mako with a biotic thrust. The second her feet hit the ground, she staggered into a run toward Garrus. Shepard held her hand out to Vega and he waved her off. She b-lined straight for Garrus then. Grabbing him, she threw his arm over her shoulder and hauled him up to half carry him to cover. The adrenaline surging through her system seemed to decrease his weight by at least a hundred and fifty pounds.

Shepard settled him on the ground as she ducked down behind the cover of one of the wrecked Makos. He wrapped his arms around his middle and shook as she squatted beside him. His armor was smoldering and coated in cobalt smears. There were streaks of soot scattered across his face and fringe.

“Normandy! Do you copy?” Shepard barked into her comm in desperation. “I need an evac! Right now!”

 _~We’re taking heavy losses up here, Commander.~_ Joker’s voice crackled through the static.

 _~I’m on my way, Commander. Just sit tight.~_ Cortez’ voice filtered through the static clearer.

Shepard looked around and saw the kodiak banking nearby before nearly touching down. She dragged the turian’s arm over her shoulder again and hauled him up, her voice straining. “Come on.”

*

When Vega stepped up the short ramp into the hovering shuttle, Shepard called to him. “Here. Take him…”

“Shepard.” he groaned as Vega took his other arm over his own.

“You gotta get outa here,” she said as she started to back away.

“And you’ve got to be _kidding_ me,” he growled, staggering against James as his leg refused to support weight.

“Don’t argue, Garrus,” she said too calmly.

“We’re in this till the end,” he grunted, his voice straining against the near blinding pain.

Shepard stepped forward, her face a mask of love and heartache mixed. She pressed her hand to his face struggling to keep her voice steady. “No matter what happens, you know I love you. I always will.”

His heart was hammering, the pain of his injuries receding from that moment as he took a breath and pressed her hand firmly against him. "Shepard, I... love you too.”

Garrus said those words to her so rarely. They meant everything when he did and he knew that she was aware of it by the look on her face. She pressed her brow to his, eyes locking with his for several thunderous heartbeats. These, he knew, could be their final moments together. When she started to pull away, his hand tightened around her wrist.

Garrus refused to blink. He meant to etch every detail of her face into his mind for all eternity if he had to. His mandibles fluttered in anxiety as much as pain when he finally found his voice again. “If this goes sideways…”

Shepard nodded faintly against his crest. Eyes squeezing shut, she pressed her lips tightly together. Her voice was rough, straining with emotion. “...I'll be waiting at the bar.”

His grip loosened a fraction around her left wrist then, his eyes never leaving hers. He tapped one finger against the bottom edge of her bracer, right over the twin to his own tattoo. “It's our clan name... the script... it's Vakarian.”

Her breath hitched as her eyes roved over his features. She pressed a hard kiss to his mouth plates then, and he cupped her face, releasing her wrist. Before he could stop her, she released him and backed quickly down the shuttle’s short ramp. Her eyes traced the lines of his form, his face, his eyes... She seemed to be memorizing every detail before she signaled the pilot to take off.

“Cortez! Get this shuttle in the air!” her voice was straining against unshed tears.

Garrus, his voice and sub-harmonics barely above a whisper as he fought down the keen when he tried to step away from James. “ ....Shepard....”

“Keep my husband safe, James. Whatever it takes....” Shepard’s eyes locked with the lieutenant at his side. Her hand pressed to her middle almost protectively as she locked eyes with him one last time. “ _Survive..._ for me… my love.”

Garrus reached for her desperately as she took off like a shot toward the beam. He begged the spirits to keep her safe as the keen welled up within him. Her scent wafted up to him, and he gasped in sudden understanding. The pieces all snapped together in an instant. Mordin’s unexpected presence on the Normandy, the odd scent, the bouts of an unsettled stomach and the cryptic message from Liara. He had not put those pieces together before out of a belief that it was simply an impossibility. Now it all came crashing down on him like a collapsing mountain the second the hatch closed.

“Jimmy, _open it!_ I should be out there! Shepard _needs_ me!.” he growled in desperation, weakly struggling to get free of the human’s grip.

“No way, Scars. Shepard just saved your life. I'm not letting you throw it away out there.” the human snapped at him as he hauled him deeper into the shuttle.

“You don’t understand.” Garrus moaned, pulling free of Vega’s grip and pressing his head against the hatch. “I have… to protect her. That’s my _family_ out there, you bastard! _Let me go to them!_ ”

His protests did not last long. Weakness overcame him and he collapsed to his knees in defeat, left arm pressed into his side. He was bleeding profusely from a wound just beneath his damaged rib flange. The same damaged section of plating that had given him so much trouble since Aria shot him. Now cobalt blood trickled steadily down his side and leg from the area. He had a fairly good idea of why. The Mako had peppered him with shrapnel and nearly crushed him on its way over him. He could feel the cold hard bite of metal lodged beneath his plates.

“Oh shit, Scars!” James exclaimed the moment it became clear he had noticed the growing pool of blue blood surrounding one of the turian's knees. The human looked down at himself and obviously realized he was covered in blue smears. “You're bleedin' bad, bro.”


	101. The Final Push

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Am I dead? Is this the ‘white light’ they talk about?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Better invest in a tissue factory...

The run to that beam was the stuff of nightmares. Shepard clamped down on her emotions as she ran. She kept telling herself… _This isn’t the end. I’ll find him when this is over. He’ll survive_. The kodiak shot skyward, toward space and a rendezvous with the Normandy behind her. She prayed to any deity listening that her bondmate, the love of her life, made it to safety. Garrus was everything to her. He was her reason for pushing forward in this fight. The turian represented everything she was fighting to preserve.

The closer she came to the beam, the more chaotic Harbinger seemed, more determined to keep her from it. The Reaper fired its primary weapon at a nearby Mako, making it flip toward her. She staggered and fell on her hip, narrowly avoiding being crushed by the thing.

Forcing herself up to her feet once more, she glared at Harbinger just beyond those pillars. Her voice was a snarl of contempt. “ _Fuck you_ , you Reaper bastard! You _lose_ today!”

It roared, raised up a fraction and fired. The red beam cut its way toward her. She had nowhere to go. Cringing at the coming impact, Shepard raised her arm and threw up a biotic barrier against the blood red beam as it slammed into her.

Blinding white light enveloped her in that instant. She barely felt her body hit the ground. Barely heard more than the ringing in her own ears. Her thoughts were slow, sluggish lacking any real feeling.

_Am I dead? Is this the ‘white light’ they talk about?_

_~God…. They’re all gone.~_ Coats’ voice crackled through her comm then, but it sounded distant, detached.

 _~Did we get anyone to the beam?~_ a woman asked frantically.

 _~Negative. Our entire force was decimated.~_ Coats confirmed her worst fear.

 _I really am dead. I’m not a quitter, I don’t know how to be. Get up, Shepard! You’re not done yet!_ Her thoughts were a determined snarl.

 _~It’s too much! We need to regroup! Fall back to the buildings…~_ Coats was calling for a full retreat.

 _No… we’ve come too far! This is our last chance!_ Shepard pleaded silently. She blinked once, twice and on the third blink, the image of Harbinger lifting off swam into her vision.

Pain tore through her like a wave of ecstasy, familiar, solid and life affirming. She moaned softly and reached for her pistol with a shaking hand. Her body wanted to remain prone, but she grunted, forcing it to sit up.

 _~Hammer’s been wiped out. All forces… retreat!~_ came the voice of a woman in desperation.

Shepard dragged herself painfully into a seated position and gripped her Carnifex pistol. It seemed to be the only weapon that had survived the blast. She forced herself up to her feet. Everything hurt. Everything burned and her armor was charred to a crisp, big chunks of it simply missing.

 _~Pull back! Pull back!~_ that woman was shouting distantly over the comms.

Shepard determinedly put one foot in front of the other at a snail’s pace. She staggered along, watching a blood and burned man crawl toward her, his hand reaching up for help. He collapsed before she made it another step. She kept moving and caught sight of three husks running around a small mound of rocks ahead of her.

Raising her gun, her aim wavered horribly as she tried to take them down. They kept coming as her first shot missed. After half a dozen rounds, they finally went down. She knew her ammo was running low, but her main concern was getting to that beam. Grunting, she staggered and tripped over one of the husks, dropping to her hands and knees as she drew nearer that beam. It took nearly all she had left to drag herself back to her feet.

The Marauder came out of nowhere. The shot took her high in the right shoulder and she cried out. She did not feel the second shot. The gun shook violently as she raised it again in an effort to take out the Reaper-spawn. Three shots to the face and he went down hard.

Limping past the downed Marauder, she held a hand up in an effort to shield her face as she stepped into that beam.

*

James knelt before him and began assessing the damage as best he could with the armor in the way. Garrus did not resist when the big man gently pulled his arm away for a better look. An instant later the human gasped, “ _Ah...ah_ , god... This is _bad_ , Garrus.”

The human's words were enough to cut through the cotton stuffing itself into his brain. Sluggishly, he opened his eyes and looked at James. The man never used his name. He always called him 'Scars'. Garrus knew it must really be bad for the man to resort to his given name. His voice, when it finally came, was rough and sounded weak in his own ears as he nodded, “Yeah...”

Garrus did not care at that point. He was hearing the radio chatter just the same as the rest of them. Shepard was gone, or so it seemed. No one had made it to the beam. He desperately wanted to go to her.

Glancing down, he saw the shattered hole in his armor and the blood weeping out of it. The edge of his lowest rib plate was visibly crushed and what appeared to be some sort of piston rod protruded from the leathery flesh beneath. He watched in disconnected fascination for a few seconds as the human prodded at the melted edges of his armor.

“I'm outa medi-gel, bro.....” James said in helpless frustration.

“Pack it.... Leave the shrapnel.....where it is........or I'll bleed to death.” Garrus said between short, pained breaths, blinking heavily from blood loss. “Good to go... after... Catch up.... to Shepard.”

“You're doin’ a damn good job of bleedin’ to death now!” James snapped. “You're not goin' anywhere except medical when we get back to the Normandy.”

“Maybe....” Garrus hissed as he allowed himself to collapse to his right armored hip against the hatch.

Garrus heard the roar of atmosphere against the shuttle's hull and his heart sank. He knew there was no returning to the fight if they were already pulling out. He sat there just focusing on breathing as James dug through a kit he had dragged from beneath one of the seats.

“Just field dressings. _Dammit!_ No gel here either.” James growled and shoved the bag aside. “It's gonna hurt, Scars.”

“Do it....” Garrus growled and steeled his resolve. He bit back a scream when the human started packing wads of gauze around the metal. The male was quick, he would give him that. Those dexterous five fingers were proving just as useful as Shepard's had with other more delicate things.

“Everything alright back there?” Cortez called as he began his approach to the Normandy.

“That's a no, Esteban. Scars is bleedin' out. Land this bird fast.” James yelled.

“Damn... This is gonna be rough then. I told Chakwas we needed her on the shuttle.” Cortez growled.

 _~This is Admiral Hackett. We’ve got reports that someone made it to the Citadel. We need to give them time to get those arms open. All fleets; converge on the Crucible. Protect it at all costs.~_ Hackett’s voice tore through the static over the comm then.

*

The beam was cold and hot all at once, but it was fast. In the space between thoughts, she was hurled up into the Citadel. She hit hard and rolled, lying there stunned for several agonizing moments.

 _~Shepard.~_ Anderson’s voice flooded her ears through the comm.

Shepard jerked, sucking in a breath and opening her eyes at the sound of her name. She climbed painfully to her hands and knees before forcing herself up to just her knees. It was dark, with faint red tinged light pouring in.

 _~Shepard.~_ Anderson’s voice was a whisper in the dark.

“Anderson. You up here too?” she breathed as steam seemed to roll off what was left of her armor. She leaned awkwardly forward and grabbed the pistol on the floor before her. She levered herself up to her feet with its help.

  
  


_~Followed you up.~_ the admiral answered softly. The older man sounded short of breath and possibly in pain. _~but we didn’t come out in the same place.... At least, I don’t think we did. What’s your surroundings look like?~_

Shepard looked around her and stumbled a few steps. Moving was painful and she wrapped an arm across her middled with a grunt. She did not answer the man at first.

 _~You ok?~_ he asked urgently.

“Feel like death, but I’m movin’.” she finally answered him with a shiver. “It’s dark. There’s human... remains scattered everywhere.”

 _~Sounds familiar. I’m in a dark hallway… reminds me of your description of the Collector Base.~_ Anderson stated.

“Yeah, or maybe hell.” Shepard murmured as she limped forward. The keeper sorting through bits and pieces of armor and muck glanced her way briefly. She grunted and stopped to glance around again. “Makes sense.”

 _~You think they’re making a Reaper here?~_ Anderson asked, his voice full of outrage.

“Sure.” Shepard grunted and pressed a hand to her throbbing shoulder. “They round them up on Earth, then send the people up here to be processed.”

 _~Damned abomination. I’m gonna keep moving. The sooner we blow these bastards back the hell, the better.~_ Anderson growled out his anger. It was clear he was more than out of breath. The man was in pain. _~The tubes don’t go on forever, but where the hell are we?~_

“Yeah… doesn’t look like any part... of the Citadel I’ve been to.” Shepard suppressed her grunt of pain, just barely.

 _~Whoa..~_ Anderson breathed in awe through the comm.

“Anderson?” Shepard asked in concern as she hobbled toward the end of the hallway.

 _~One of the walls just realigned itself. The place is shifting. Changing.~_ Anderson answered. _~There’s a chasm here… and more hallways like the one I was in.~_

“I think I’m near an exit.” Shepard said as a pair of panels before her opened on a bright room. Limping through the doors, she looked around her then. The place was huge with electrical arcs shooting across shifting panels in a chasm like Anderson had mentioned. It reminded her of the Shadow Broker’s ship on a much grander scale.

 _~I see something up ahead. Might be a way to across over.~_ Anderson said quietly into the comm.

Shepard limped down the ramp before her cautiously. She staggered with a grumble. “Don’t get too far ahead of me.”

 _~Where do you think you’re at?~_ Anderson asked after a couple of minutes.

Stopping, she looked out at those shifting panels and realized the design was almost exactly as the Shadow Broker’s ship was. Both places must have been built by the same people and she wondered… _Is the Shadow Broker’s vessel just as old? Are they connected?_

“Just found that chasm you were talking about.” Shepard grunted as she rested a hand on what passed as a railing.

 _~Hold on... I see something. A control panel maybe.~ Anderson said, sounding a little excited. ~I’m just gonna go on ahead and check --~_ The admiral’s voice suddenly cut off in a sizzle of what sounded like electrical discharge.

“Anderson?” Shepard asked, glancing up the other side of the ramp she was making her way to. Her heart sank at the possibilities racing through her mind. Her voice was barely more than a whisper when she spoke again. “Uncle David… you ok?” when he did not respond, she snarled. “ _Dammit!_ ”

Her progress down the ramp on the other side had been relatively quick. She had allowed gravity to pull her along. Climbing up this side was murder. She began to realize the extent of her injuries as she wobbled up it. 

The sight that met her eyes as she topped that ramp gave her pause. She stopped and stared for a moment, trying to discern exactly who she saw against the glare. His size and shape gave him away easily as she took another step forward. She let out a quick sigh of relief as she finally recognized Anderson’s form.

The room was round with more of those panels hanging in a circular pattern from the ceiling. It reminded her of the Collect base and sent a chill racing up her spine. Moving forward, she continued wobbling toward the man, but something was off. He was too still.

As she drew nearer, she noticed he was leaning heavily on what was clearly some kind of control panel. She stopped in the middle of the odd disk. “Anderson...”

The man staggered around, turning to face her then and she could hear faint whispers off in the distance. She watched in horror as the man she had known more than half her life twitched and shook his head.

“Shepard… I can’t…” he growled, struggling to speak.

“I underestimated you, Shepard.” the Illusive Man’s voice came from behind her as she heard footsteps.

Shepard gritted her teeth against the warped sounds of whispers penetrating her head. Black streamers coiled across her vision and she squeezed her eyes shut for an instant. “What have--”

“I warned you. Control is the means to survival. Control of the Reapers… and you, if necessary.” TIM said calmly as he walked leisurely across in front of her.

Anderson growled harshly, eyes locking to TIM. “They’re controllin’ _you_.”

“I don’t think so, Admiral.” TIM said smugly as he spread his hands.

Shepard stared at the man her twin claimed was their father. Indoctrinated, altered, more machine than man in appearance now. She realized he was beginning to look like the husks and it brought out the glow of his eyes. _Why didn’t I notice his eyes before?_

“You don’t get it, do you? Controlling _me_ is a lot different than controlling a _Reaper_.” Shepard growled defiantly.

“Have a little faith... in your _father_.” TIM crossed his arms and tapped his lower lip thoughtfully for a second.

“ _Fuck you_ … I don’t believe you’re related to me… in _any_ way..” Shepard snarled at him and shook her head, barely maintaining her footing.

“Well… it doesn’t matter. Believe what you will.” TIM huffed a laugh and began to pace. “It’s important you know the truth. What you do with it… is up to you. Your brother chose the better option.”

“Shane… is a disgrace to the Shepard name.” she snapped.

“Shane is a _Harper!_ ” TIM snapped back. “You both are.” he recomposed himself with a smile then and straightened his suit. “But I don’t really care what you believe, _Shepard_.”

Shepard let out a shuddering breath at the realization that this nightmare was real.

“Control is the only viable option… and I’m going to prove it to you.” TIM began, stepping over toward Anderson and looking him in the face briefly. “When humanity discovered the mass relays… when we learned there was more to the galaxy than we imagined… There were some who thought the relays should be destroyed. They were scared of what we’d find. _Terrified_ of what we might let in.” he paused and paced back toward her, an almost wild look in his eyes. “But look at what humanity has achieved! Since that discovery, we’ve advanced more than the last 10,000 years _combined_. And the Reapers will do the same for us again. A _thousand_ fold. But…”

Shepard pressed her hand to her head with a grunt. It felt as if it were about to explode. The whispers were gone, but a muffled warble, like the distant sound of a Reaper’s weapon rippled through her mind. Her gun hand raised of its own accord as TIM stopped directly beside her.

“Only if we can harness their ability to control.” TIM nearly purred beside her.

“Bullshit!” Anderson growled and held his hand up. “We destroy them, or they destroy us.”

“And _waste_ this opportunity? Never!” TIM paced around behind her then.

“And… what about the… _leviathan?_ They _created_ these monsters… and they _couldn’t_ control them.” Shepard reasoned over the thundering pain in her head.

“They were _weak!_ They didn’t understand how to _wield_ the power they created.” TIM sneered at her, doubling his fist as if grasping that power.

“You’re playing with things you don’t… understand. With power… you shouldn’t be able to use.” Shepard squeezed her eyes shut and wished a thousand times she could lower her hand. The gun was dangerously pointed at Anderson.

“I… don’t believe that.” TIM paced back toward Anderson and turned to look at her. “If we can control it, why shouldn’t it be ours?”

“Because we’re _not_ ready.” Shepard stated. She knew it to her core that no race should have this kind of power. The whole of the galactic community was not ready for it.

“No...this is the way humanity _must_ evolve.” TIM denied her claim.

“There’s always… another way.” Anderson said, fighting the grip of what could only be indoctrination as well.

“I’ve dedicated my life to understanding the Reapers, and I know, with certainty the Crucible will allow me to control them.” TIM said firmly.

“And then what?” Shepard asked sarcastically, frowning at the man.

“Look at the power they wield.” TIM breathed and the warbling in her head grew to thunderous proportions. He doubled his fist and leaned it, glaring at Anderson. “Look at what they can do!”

The gun in her hand went off as her finger twitched on the trigger. Anderson jolted and barely maintained his upright position as a blood stain bloomed in his side. Shepard gasped and shook her head. This was not her doing and she knew it. _But if he dies… it’s by_ _ **my**_ _hand_.

Glaring up at TIM then, her face hardened into a deep frown. “I see what they did to _you_.”

“I _took_ what I wanted from them… made it my own. This isn’t about me… or you.” TIM said and stepped between them, spreading his arms. “It’s about things so much bigger than _all_ of us.”

“He’s wrong. Don’t listen to him.” Anderson gasped out.

“And who will you listen to, Shepard? An old soldier _stuck_ in his ways? Or me... ? He’s only able to see the world down the barrel of a _gun?_ I see the bigger _picture…_ a picture that allows humanity to take the next step.” His voice dropped for a moment as he made eye contact with her. “A picture that allows my children to finally see their true potential. And _what if_ your admiral is wrong? What if controlling the Reapers _is_ the answer?”

“If we destroy the Reapers, this ends _today_ … but if you _can’t_ control them…” Shepard growled at him, ignoring his reference to her and Shane.

“But I _can!_ ” his face twisted and he virtually signed the universal gesture for understanding.

“Are you willing to bet humanity’s existence on it?” Shepard asked him harshly. 

“I… _know_ it will work.” TIM growled and shook his head between his hands.

“Then open the arms! Let the Crucible dock… and _do_ it!” Shepard yelled at him then as she strained to break the hold he had over her.

“Look at you… so self-righteous! Do you think power like this comes without a price? There are sacrifices…”

“Will you sacrifice us? _Shane_ … and _me_ … on that altar of power you’ve built?” Shepard raged at him. “Will you sacrifice _all_ of humanity… on a whim?”

TIM turned on his heel staring up at the ceiling as he opened his hand and shook it at the heavens. “Shepard, I… I only wanted to _protect_ humanity. I wanted to _protect_ you and your brother. The Crucible can control them. I know it can. I just…”

Swallowing her pride, she met his eyes and accepted the possibility that this man might really be the father she had never known. “It’s not too late… Dad…. Let us go. We’ll do the rest.”

TIM pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. “I… can’t do that… Commander.”

“Of course you can’t. They own you now.” Anderson half growled at him. The man looked weaker.

TIM walked over behind Anderson and pulled his pistol from the holster across his hips. He stepped away looking at it thoughtfully. “You.. you’d undo _everything_ I’ve accomplished. I _won’t_ let that happen.”

“Because of you… humanity is already undone.”

He shook his hands in front of him, his voice breaking on his shout. “ _That’s not true_ …”

“ _They have the Citadel! They have us fighting each other instead of them!_ ” Shepard shouted at him, hoping he would come to his senses. “They have _you_ … trying to _kill_ me… You’re trying to _kill_ the woman you say is your _daughter!_ ”

“ _I just need to._.” he was pacing like a caged animal now.

“You’ve done _exactly_ what the Reapers wanted. You’re _still_ doing it… because they _control you!_ ” Shepard continued to verbally grind his face into the facts.

“I…” he shook his head and pressed the side of the gun against his head. “ _They’re too strong_.”

“You’re _stronger!_ Don’t let them win. _Break_ their hold. _Don’t let them control you_.” Shepard raged at him. She begged him to see that this was wrong. If he truly was her father, she knew he was the one her strength had come from.

Finally he stopped, standing perfectly still with a lopsided smirk on his face, he nodded. His expression told her he had regained control, if only briefly. The second his features began twisting toward insanity again, he looked down at the gun in his hand. “I tried, little star…”

Shepard’s eyes widened at the nickname only her mother had ever used. She shook her head, powerless to stop him, as he rested the barrel of the gun against his temple. A split second, a breath, a heartbeat was all the time between that action and his next. He pulled the trigger and the opposite side of his head exploded outward before he dropped like a stone.


	102. The Catalyst

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You did good, kid. You did... good. I’m proud of you.” Anderson said softly as he started to lean over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tissues... tissues...

102 - The Catalyst

Shepard crumpled to her knees the second the Illusive Man’s will faded from her mind. Anderson simply fell to the floor like a rag doll. She struggled to push herself back up to her feet and made her way over to the control panel. He watched her, his eyes following her every movement and he nodded when she reached the panel.

Looking it over, she noticed a few familiar controls and tapped at them. The hydraulics kicked in and the observation shield began to open slowly. Her eyes widened when she took in the view outside and her breath caught at the severity of the fighting. “Ah… god…”

Quickly, she tapped in a couple of commands and the boom of the arm controls sounded as those began to open as well. She could hear something approaching, but she could not see it. It had to be the Crucible, at least she hoped it was. There was no more fight in her. She knew she would not survive another wave of Reaper forces at this point.

Anderson groaned behind her and she turned to look at him. He was scooting back against a section of the floor that had raised up. She staggered over to him and practically dropped down beside him.

“Commander.” he said with a nod.

Shepard huffed a breathless laugh. “We did it.”

“Yes. We did.” he confirmed, his voice sounded strained. He coughed slightly in the middle of his next statement. “It’s… uh… quite a view.”

“Best seats in the house.” she grunted in pain and nodded as she took in the sight of Earth.

“God… feels like years since I just… sat down.” Anderson groaned softly.

“Huh.. uh.. Think you earned a rest.” Shepard huffed and glanced at him as the older man half groaned, half growled in obvious pain. “Stay with me… We’re almost through this.”

“You did good, kid. You did... _good_. I’m proud of you.” Anderson said softly as he started to lean over.

“Thank you, sir.” Shepard all but whispered as his chin came to rest on his chest. She glanced at him then, her heart sinking. “Anderson?” When he did not respond, her breath hitched. “ _Uncle David….?_ ”

Shepard closed her eyes when he did not respond and simply sat there for a moment, growing accustomed to the cottony feeling expanding within her head. She glanced down and shifted her left hand off her side. It was coated in blood, the second gunshot wound from the Marauder bleeding sluggishly.

 _~Shepard. Commander!~_ Hackett called over the comm as she pressed her hand back to her side.

Shepard shifted painfully, looking around for a moment on the edges of disorientation. “I.. uh… what do you need me to do?”

Moving was painful, she ended up rolling to her right side and bumping Anderson’s leg as she struggled to make her way toward the control panel. She pushed herself up on her hands and knees to crawl to the thing.

 _~Nothing’s happening. The Crucible’s not firing.~_ Hackett said flatly.

Shepard struggled to her feet and fell back to the floor on her left side biting off a scream of pain. She forced herself over onto her belly and crawled toward it then.

 _~It’s gotta be something on your end.~_ he remarked and did not wait more than a few seconds before speaking again. _~Commander Shepard!~_

“I don’t see -- I’m not sure how to --” Grunting, she tried desperately to regain her feet. She reached for the console as darkness swirled around the outer edges of her vision. Darkness claimed her before she could touch it.

 _~Commander!~_ Hackett’s frantic call faded away.

*

The landing in the shuttle bay was rougher than expected. Garrus barely noticed. Vega pulled him to his feet, hauled his arm over his shoulders and half dragged the turian toward the elevator. He wondered vaguely if the insulated warmers in his armor had been fried. He was freezing. That was probably not a good sign.

James struggled to haul him down the hall to the medbay and he helped as much as he was able. His right leg was blazing pain and refused to support any kind of weight. The doctor met them halfway, looking him over as she took his other arm. They supported him between them and managed to get him onto an exam bed inside the medbay.

“Get as much of his armor off as you can, Mr. Vega.” Chakwas ordered from the far side of the room.

“It's turian armor, Doc. I don't know where the catches are.” Vega said helplessly.

“I suggest you figure it out… and quickly.” Chakwas said harshly.

Garrus was in and out of lucidity by that point, but he heard them. His blood-starved brain registered their words and he weakly popped the latches around his cowl. He tugged the upper ring loose, hauling it over his head with one arm and let it drop to the floor. The rest, he knew, should be simple enough for the humans to find if they were not fused.

“I thought he was out of it...” James said distantly.

“Turian discipline and restraint. They condition their soldiers to obey orders in even the most extreme circumstances.” Chakwas said in a matter of fact tone as she began to pry at the crisped armor.

Garrus did not care that James dove in to help. Some of the seams were partially fused. With the human’s added strength, the armor issued a loud crack and split like a shattered eggshell. The turian bit back a flanged scream as the armor pulled away from his plates. He was sharply aware of the melted strings of polymers that draped between the two halves. As they tossed the pieces onto the floor, he got a good look at the piston rod protruding from his side.

Chakwas had moved on to that as James continued to peel pieces of his armor loose. He was slipping toward the threshold of unconsciousness from the pain when Mordin’s face swam into view. The salarian held up a syringe.

“Sleep… better option.” the old salarian said just before he felt a pinch in the bend of his arm. “Less pain.”

Garrus could not agree more as he sank away from the pain and chaotic activity all around him.

*

Shepard gasped and jolted awake the second the floor stopped moving beneath her. She pushed up to her hands and knees, shaking her head. Her vision was blurred, but she was pretty sure she was no longer in the control chamber.

“Wake up.” the voice of a child, overlapped with the voices of many others, called to her.

Glancing up, her breath hitched when she saw the transparent glowing child kneeling before her. She frowned, recognizing him as the boy who had died on Earth well over a year ago, the boy from her nightmares.

Pushing herself up to her feet, she looked around. "What? Where am I?”

“The Citadel. It’s my home.” the boy answered.

Shepard took in the sight of the beam straight ahead and the power conduits on either side. The thing that impressed her the most was the view. They looked to be within some sort of domed observatory. She could almost bet that no one else had ever seen this part of the Citadel.

“Who are you?” she asked in bewilderment.

“I am the Catalyst.” the boy answered.

“Thought the Citadel was the Catalyst.” Shepard said thoughtfully as she glanced beyond him.

“No. The Citadel is part of me.” the boy answered simply.

“I need to stop the Reapers. Do you know how I can do that?” Shepard bent slightly and asked the Catalyst as if he might actually respond like a child.

“Perhaps. I control the Reapers. They are my solution.” the boy answered and turned to walk away, obviously expecting her to follow him.

“My god…” she breathed softly as she watched him for a few seconds. This ‘child’ was responsible for countless deaths over countless cycles. That was not a boy walking before her, he was evil incarnate.

Taking a few steps after him, she finally found her voice again. “The… solution to what?”

“Chaos.” he answered simply and continued walking. “The created will always rebel against their creators. But we found a way to stop that from happening. A way to restore order.”

“By wiping out organic life?” Shepard asked incredulously.

“No.” the boy turned back to look at her then. “We harvest advanced civilizations, leaving the younger ones alone. Just as we left _your_ people alive the last time we were here.”

“But you killed the rest…” she said, the horrifying reality of what this boy truly represented slamming home for her.

“We helped them ascend, so they can make way for new life. Storing the old life in Reaper form.” the Catalyst-child explained.

“I think we’d rather keep our own form.” Shepard said in disgust.

“No. You can’t…” the boy glared up at her then, as they stopped a few yards from those conduits and the beam. “Without us to stop it, synthetics would destroy _all_ organics. We’ve created the cycle so that never happens. That’s the solution.”

“You said you’re the Catalyst, but… _what_ are you?” Shepard realized she might need that information in order to stop this psychotic little brat along with his giant demolition toys.

“A construct. An intelligence designed eons ago to solve a problem. I was created to bring balance, to be the catalyst to bring peace between organics and synthetics.” the boy explained.

Shepard huffed a disgusted laugh and narrowed her eyes at the kid. “So you're just an AI?”

“In as much as you are just an animal. I embody the collective intelligence of all Reapers.” the kid bit back at her.

“I met the creators you thought you wiped out.” Shepard growled at the brat.

“We did as we were expected.” the boy answered.

“By betraying them? Turning them into Harbinger?” she snapped at the AI.

“When they asked us to solve the problem of conflict, they failed to understand they were part of the problem themselves. The flaws of their organic reasoning could not perceive this. They lacked the foresight to understand their destruction was part of the very solution they required.” the kid explained emotionlessly.

“Well… they’ve joined this war now. Let’s see how well you stand against their fury.” Shepard breathed.

“And I welcome their involvement. I am only facilitating their request.” the kid answered as if he were agreeing to do his homework.

“I don’t see how any of this is a solution. You’re murdering countless innocence… for what? To make more of those?” Shepard shook her head and waved a hand at the Reapers drifting along in space, firing on her allies.

“I give them function. In turn, they give me purpose. They are the synthetic representation of my creators… and they are the bridge between organics and synthetics..” the boy said as he turned to look at the monsters he controlled.

“Those things… are _not_ a bridge. They’re pure destruction.” she growled at the Catalyst-child and glared at him.

“You’re wrong. Organics create synthetics to improve their own existence, but those improvements have limits. To exceed those limits, synthetics must be allowed to evolve. They must, by definition, surpass their creators. The result is conflict, destruction, chaos. It is inevitable. Reapers preserve all life, organic and synthetic, before they are lost to this conflict.” the Catalyst rattled on.

Shepard was growing tired of hearing the garbage coming out of this AI child’s mouth. She took in an exasperated breath and pointed at the obvious conflict just outside. “We’re at _war_ with the Reapers right now!”

“You may be in conflict with the Reapers, but they are not interested in war.” he said simply.

The commander huffed a disgusted breath. “I find that hard to believe.”

“When fire burns, it is simply doing what it was designed to do. We are no different. We harvest your bodies, your knowledge, your creations. We preserve it to be reborn in the form of a new Reaper. Like a cleansing fire, we restore balance.”

“You’re a deranged little monster, you know that, kid.” Shepard muttered just under her breath. “You’re the key to all this. How do I stop it? How do I use the Crucible?”

“The device you refer to as the Crucible is little more than a power source. However, in combination with the Citadel and the relays, it is capable of releasing tremendous amounts of energy throughout the galaxy.”

“Are you telling me this thing is like a…. battery or a heat sync?” Shepard asked, her voice nearly breaking in shock.

“Yes. Its design is crude, but effective.”

“Who designed it?” Shepard asked thoughtfully, she did not expect to get an answer.

“You wouldn’t know them.” the boy answered simply.

“You’re destroying our future… to preserve it? That’s the complete opposite of what the leviathan wanted from you.” Shepard growled at the kid. “We have no hope without a future. Without hope, we might as well be machines…. programmed to do what we’re told.”

“You have hope. More than you think. The fact that you’re standing here, the first organic ever, proves it. But it also proves my solution won’t work anymore.”

“So now what?” she asked, realizing she might have finally broken through the Catalyst-AI’s murderous logic.

“We find a new solution.” the boy said simply as he turned to look at the chamber before them.

“Why… are you telling me this? Why help me?” she finally asked, realizing this kid could have simply ignored her.

“You have altered the variables.” he glanced back at her again.

“What do you mean?” Shepard grunted, the pain still raging through her.

“The Crucible changed me, created new -- possibilities. But _I_ can’t make them happen. If there is to be a new solution, _you_ must act.” the boy looked up at her then, an almost pleading look in his glowing, ethereal face. “Our fate rests in your hands. But be warned… others will suffer the consequences of your decision. The Crucible will not discriminate.”

“What exactly will happen?” Shepard asked cautiously.

“The effects of the energy dispersal will affect all synthetics. The technology you rely on will be affected, but those who survive should have little difficulty repairing the damage. Even _you_ are part synthetic. You will be affected in -- unforeseen ways. This is the path of our destruction.”

“But it’ll stop the Reapers?” Shepard asked with a shaky breath.

“Yes.” the boy answered. “But the peace _won’t_ last. Soon, your children will create synthetics and the chaos will overrun the galaxy.”

“There has to be another way.” Shepard groaned as she thought of the possibilities of future generations creating new Reapers… or something worse.

“You may choose to seize control of us instead.” the boy suggested almost hopefully.

“So the Illusive Man was right after all.” Shepard speculated.

“Yes, but he was already in _our_ control.” the boy nodded.

“But I not?”

“You retain your free will. The transition will not be… pleasant. You will die, but you will control us.”

“How can I control the Reapers if I’m _dead?_ ” Shepard frowned and shook her head at the very concept.

“Everything you are here and now will be dissolved, but your consciousness will be preserved within a new construct. You will no longer be organic. Your connection to your kind will be no more, but you will remain aware of their existence.”

“That sounds like my idea of hell.” Shepard grumbled as she glanced toward the two conduits the boy had pointed to as he explained her options. “But the Reapers _will_ obey me?”

“Yes, we will be yours to direct as you see fit.”

Shepard grunted at the very concept. The idea of controlling the Reapers, no matter what knowledge might be locked away within them, felt wrong. She knew an AI could be hacked, it could be reprogrammed to do anyone’s bidding. _Who’s to say that hasn’t happened to this kid already? How many times might he have tried to hand over control?_

“There is another solution.” the boy broke into her thoughts then. “Synthesis.”

“And that is?” Shepard tilted her head sideways at the kid, a skeptical look on her face.

“Add _your_ energy to the Crucible’s. The chain reaction will combine all synthetic and organic life into a new framework. A new… DNA.”

Shepard frowned and shook her head at the notion. It sounded too far fetched for her liking. “How?”

“Your organic energy will be broken down and dispersed.”

“To do what, exactly?”

“Rewrite life as you know it. Perfection will be achieved by merging synthetic and organic into a single organism. Every birth after such a merger will be of us all, evolved, perfect. It is the ideal solution.”

“My god…” Shepard breathed as the enormity of that choice weighed heavily on her shoulders. “You’d have me destroy all life in the galaxy so you can… _recreate it?_ In your own image? You’re _not_ God… and neither am I.”

“We have tried a _similar_ solution in the past. But it has always failed.”

“Why?” Shepard ground out.

“The organics were not ready. It is not something that can be… forced. You are ready… and you may choose it.”

“What makes me so ready where others haven’t been?” Shepard asked breathlessly. The pain of the gunshot wounds and the fight to get here were dragging her down.

“You are evolved. New life awaits within you. A new organism. The new DNA framework synthesis will create already exists... within you. It proves this solution will work.” the boy pointed toward her belly and looked up at her with a maniacal smile. “That new DNA must be added to the Crucible’s energy to resolve this conflict.”

“No.” Shepard growled, gritting her teeth.

“Why not? Synthetics are already a part of you. Can you imagine your life without them? You will create a lasting peace with your sacrifice. The knowledge of countless civilizations preserved in the forms of the Reapers will be distributed through this new framework. Those we have already assimilated will regain their individuality as well. Synthesis is the final evolution of _all_ life.” the boy rattled on for a moment longer before locking his glowing eyes to hers. “Make your choice.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are ONE chapter away from the end... and the beginning of the next saga.


	103. The Choice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The choices were harsh. Survival in any of them was slim to none. Shepard only hope, that if she didn't make it out the other side of this, Garrus might one day forgive her... and move on.

The only sound for several minutes was the pip-plop of dripping blood. She stood there staring at the choices the Catalyst-child had given her. Refusing to use the Crucible was not an option. The Reapers would destroy the galaxy if left unchecked.

Shepard took a breath and shook her head. She sought the most moral choice, the one that allowed her 'family' to live. If she chose to control the Reapers there was no telling how long that fragile peace might last. The AI created from her personality would do what it thought was best. In the end, that AI would not be her. The Reapers would remain.

Synthesis... she just could not bring herself to do that. The way the child had described it... it left no doubt in her mind that everyone would live, but at too high a price. Every single husk, every Reap-spawned nightmare in the galaxy would suddenly become self-aware. Each one would regain their minds. Not to mention the genetic rewrite of every living thing... against its will. And still, the Reapers would remain.

Her eyes shifted toward the red power conduit and her lip trembled in pain and exhaustion. She felt him beside her then, as if he had been there all along. His scent, the rumble of his sub-harmonics... part of her cried out at the possible meaning. She nearly collapsed under the weight of sudden grief as his hands rested gently on her shoulders, barely there, barely detectable.

Garrus whispered to her, more in her mind than anywhere else then. _~Shepard... what have we been fighting for? Why are we here?~_

"To destroy the Reapers." she whispered and closed her eyes.

 _~You can do this… and I’ll be waiting for you.~_ his voice was fading away like a distant memory.

Shepard took a shuddering breath and nodded as she opened her eyes again. She could still feel him near her. His hands, phantom hands with no real substance, closed around hers. Staggering toward the red power conduit, she raised her arm, gun wavering weakly as she aimed at it. His strength surrounded her then, stabilizing the shaking of her hand.

 _~Come back... alive...~_ he spoke to her one last time before his presence faded from her awareness.

A sob broke free of her lungs then. "I'm sorry, Garrus. I have to.... _disobey_.... that order."

*

“Get that armor out of the way _now!_ _We’re losing him!_ ” Chakwas barked as the turian flatlined. She tapped a few commands into the diagnostic bed. “ _Clear!_ ” she yelled at Vega and Mordin. The second their hands were off the turian, she hit him with an electrical jolt. His heart jumped, causing the monitor to blip before screaming a single tone again. “I _refuse_ to let you die after all the hell you’ve put me through, Vakarian! _Do you hear me?_ ”

After the third jolt, his heartbeat was erratic, but it was there. The older woman dashed toward the cabinetry in the room and grabbed an IV kit from one draw. She yanked the cold storage draw open with the other hand and grabbed a couple of bags of cobalt blood. 

Leaving the draws hanging open, she ran back to her patient, she tossed the bags onto his lightly plated belly while she prepped his arm. She chose the large vein running down the side of his forearm and slid the needle home quickly with an efficient touch. The second she had blood return, she hooked the tubing into the port and started the flow of much needed blood.

Hanging the bags on the pole attached to the bed, she ran a hand across her brow before glancing at Vega and Mordin. “Mr. Vega, if you would be so kind as to continue removing the larger section of his armor… Mordin, I’ll need your help removing the rod from his side. I need to stop the internal bleeding as soon as possible.”

“Couldn’t we just… you know… dunk him in medi-gel?” Vega asked, gesturing toward the prone turian.

“We’ll bathe him in medi-gel once the rod has been removed… otherwise the wound will heal around it and create complications.” Chackwas sighed softly. She was already tired and this ordeal had only just begun.

*

One last squeeze of her hand, one last crack of her gun, one last breath......

Crack, crack, crack, the report of her Carnifex pistol was the only sound in the vast chamber the Catalyst-child occupied. The AI merely stood staring at her blankly as she fired her pistol at the red power conduit. This would be the end of it. This would break the cycle of death.

One last breath, one last squeeze of her hand, one last crack of her pistol. The world washed away in a fiery haze of pain.

*

Garrus bolted upright in the horizontal tank of medi-gel sucking in a desperate breath. He was not sure if it had been a dream or something else, but it had felt so very real. Gripping the edge of the tank, he practically threw himself out of it. He did not care that he was dripping wet or that he was completely nude. The doctor attempted to stop him, but he bolted out the door. He ran as hard as his shattered leg would allow, he made for the port lounge.

Nana, Lilfrey and Liara were all clustered around the huge viewport watching something. He made it into the room and stared out the viewport at the scene unfolding before him. The Citadel’s arms had opened wider than he had ever seen them. He released a huffing breath of disbelief as an explosive plume of red erupted from beneath the Crucible. It swelled into a wave as a red beam shot out of the Presidium past them. His eyes were locked to the Citadel, however, as pieces of it desintagrated. The beam intensified and the Crucible exploded, chunks of debris raining down to the planet’s surface behind it. 

Garrus gripped the railing before him as he nearly collapsed under the crushing weight of grief. He shook his head in denial, eyes squeezed shut, mouth hanging slightly open in shock. Crossing his arms over his chest, he backed away from the sight. He barely noticed how his right leg shrieked in pain.

“ _Grab him_ , Liara! Lilfrey, help me shield him… _now_ , girls! _He’s gonna nova!_ ” Nana shouted, her voice sounding distant to him.

“But…” Liara began helplessly.

“ _Now! Don’t argue!_ ” Nana shouted.

Small hands grabbed him. He barely noticed as a rabid beast of talon and steel coiled around his heart. It sank its teeth deep within him, slashing at his very soul. It sought to devour him and thrust him into mindless numbness. He did not have the strength left in him to resist or fight it. Instead, he simply gave in to its will. The battle within him was already lost and everything outside his collapsing scope of misery was lost to him. 

Garrus was beyond reason or control, flinging his arms out as the deep keening wail ripped its way out of his lungs. He was not aware of the burst of destructive biotic energy swelling around him.

*

Nana never expected the boy to nova. He had never shown that level of biotic strength. His entire body encased itself in shimmering blue biotic energy as he backed away from the sight of destruction.

“ _Grab him_ , Liara! Lilfrey, help me shield him… _now_ , girls! _He’s gonna nova!_ ” Nana shouted, her voice sharp and demanding.

The girl protested and the elder stepped in to grab him herself. Her hands felt as if they were about to burst into flame, but she held onto him anyway. Lilfrey shielded the room the instant she realized what was happening.

“Open that power conduit!” Nana snapped and motioned toward the shutter control. “Don’t ask why, just do it, girl!”

Liara pried the conduit open in the nick of time. Garrus seemed to crumple in on himself for an instant before flinging his arms wide with a keen that rivaled the piercing howl of any varren. The corona of destructive biotic energy ripped free of him and he would have collapsed to the floor if not for the asari’s hold. 

Nana thrust her hand into the conduit, screaming as both the energy from his blast and the electrical charge surged through her. The boy was stronger than she had ever suspected. The biotic energy rolled over her, sending searing pain racing through her nervous system. Still she held him and that power conduit stubbornly as she filtered the energy into the Normandy’s systems. Her hand blistered and blackened around it as she bled the energy off quickly. The ship lurched forward with a burst of speed and her hand tore free of the conduit, black and skeletal.

Releasing Garrus then, Nana dropped to her knees and cradled her ruined hand. The turian slumped to the floor before her, curling in on himself protectively. His biotics were clearly spent for the moment.

“Get the doctor…” Nana whispered painfully to Liara, her body shook as she went into shock from the trauma to her system.

*

Liara did not waste a second. She simply nodded and bolted from the lounge. She did not have far to go. Chakwas was already rushing down the hall. They all heard the engines straining for more speed. She ignored it and grabbed the woman by the wrist.

“The port lounge. It’s bad.” the asari gasped out as she turned and practically dragged the woman behind her.

The thunderous boom of a hundred sound barriers breaking at once swamped the ship. The lights flickered as the Normandy bucked and pitched them to the floor. A flash of red washed over them seconds before they were plunged into utter darkness.

The rush of atmosphere against the hull followed. The ship roared through it, the sound of a dying dragon racing toward some unknown surface. Liara and Chakwas held onto the floor grating desperately in the pitch black. When the impact came, it was bone shattering.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is our finale... The next part of the saga will begin soon.
> 
> The memorial on board the Normandy [game cannon] has been pushed to the post-war saga. Did Shepard survive? What about the hybrid baby? Find out in Aftermath...


End file.
